Majority government is dictatorial government, and it didn’t take long for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative majority to start attacking Canadians’ rights.
But who would have thought that they’d be SO BOLD as to try to do away with one of the basic rights of EVERY free society: the requirement that police seek a warrant BEFORE invading your personal privacy, tracking cellphone calls, intercepting and monitoring your Internet activities. And it would require the companies to install equipment for real-time surveillance of your activities … that the police could then access without a warrant.
Big Brother WILL BE Stephen Harper….unless we continue to express our outrage at this attempt to give the state (through its police forces) unprecedented powers to cut down our civil liberties.
Of course, they didn’t call their proposed law “A Bill to Destroy Canadians Privacy and Expand Police Powers Over Your Lives” … that would never sell. So they came up with an equally ridiculous, but I’m sure they thought brilliant subterfuge …Bill C-30 ”The Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act”.
And they also introduced Bill C-51 entitled an “Act to Enact the Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act” to allow cellphone tracking of individuals for up to a year, instead of the previously approved (under a minority government) limit of 60 days.
But the Bill doesn’t retrict these new police powers to going after child pornographers: it would allow them to target ANY one of us… WITHOUT JUSTIFYING the action beforehand to a judge.
And in an attempt to muzzle the Opposition and intimidate any of those pinko civil libertarians, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews even went so far as to declare “either stand with us or with the child pornographers.”
Shameful.
And the really scary part is that, armed with their majority government, the Tories could ram the legislation through … only the loud choruses of thousands of Canadians shouting them down and denouncing this attack on our freedom … standing politically in their way.
Readers of this blog will recall I warned, during the last federal election, of the dangers inherent in giving Harper and the Tories a majority mandate.
But even I … cynical as I am in dealing with politicians … didn’t think they would be so dictatorial as to trample on the basic requirement of police JUSTIFYING and getting a warrant before invading our privacy.
No one I have heard discussing these tramplings of our liberties wants to give criminal, child molesters. pornographers or terrorists a free pass either. I don’t believe it’s really very difficult, when prima-facie information warrants it, for police to get the powers they need to listen in on people or even raid a property.
This is just about giving police a way around those pesky rights citizens in rule-of-law societies have demanded and won for themselves over the past 900 years.
And the Tory penchant for punishment is also fornt and centre now with Bill C-10, the omnibus crime bill that will introduce MANDATORY prison sentences for non-violent marijuana offences.
Really?
At a time when more and more experienced community leaders, citizens and even prominent public figures, like several former Premiers and Attorneys-General are calling for marijuana use to be decriminalized …the Tories want MANDATORY jail sentences for anyone caught growing as few as six marijuana plants for the purpose of selling the dope.
They’d better have a LOT of new jails built … and very soon! (Maybe that’s the real aim … providing lucrative prison-building contracts to big construction companies, whose owner are Tory supporters?)
I support tougher sentences for serious crimes and multiple repeat offenders … especially hard drug traffickers; but MANDATORY jail for growing as few as six marijuana plants is plain silly, a waste of court time and tremendous high costs to the system, and will add unnecessary MILLIONS to governmenty spending.
See what I mean by the dangers today inherent in majority government?
It never used to be this way.
In the past, Canadian majority governments enjoyed themselves rewarding friends and supporters with make-work projects … sometimes useless buildings/ventures in remote, but politically-friendly areas, promotional contracts and programs that absorbed bucks more than delivering anything much of value and all kinds of laws that reshaped or tinkered with our tax codes, civil laws, corporate give-aways.
But they rarely (except for Trudeau and the War Measures Act) trampled on our basic rights as citizens in a democratic society.
Let’s hope the crescendo of protest over these latest over-the-top proposals convinces the Tories to back down … and keep it real.
Harv Oberfeld
35 responses so far ↓
1 StandUpForBC // Feb 19, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Harvey, I well remember your warning about electing a Harper majority. Kudos on this piece. However one quibble –you said “Majority government is dictatorial government, …”
It didn’t used to be that way, not in Canada. Previous majority governments did not outright disobey Canadian law in the way and manner that the Harper regime has done.
Introducing new laws and changing existing laws is one thing. Disobeying laws, and thumbing one’s nose at one’s own country’s Constitution and judicial rulings (as Harper has done with a sneer) puts Canada at the level of the lowest African dictatorships.
The problem is two-fold: this is becoming an accepted method of operating parliament, and government.
No one in any party or position of authority at either the federal or provincial governments appears to be moral enough or brave enough to stand up against atrocities taking place at the hands of an increasingly corrupt government (both levels). As an example of this moral corruption, I’m an advocate for the elderly, and am aware of serious criminal acts committed by institutions and public agencies that the government and the opposition are choosing to ignore.
Second, and worst of all, the last bastion against government corruption — the media — has thrown their lot in with the powerful, and have become suppressors of the truth and allies/lackeys of the elite.
One example of this is the National Post’s glowing tribute to Gordon Campbell in yesterday’s paper.
Oddly, you won’t find any reference to this article by going to the Post’s website – it’s not listed there, even though it’s a half page article complete with grand photo of a satisfied Campbell lounging in his sumptuous office. Every other story, no matter how dull and small is featured in their online edition but not this one. Why? If you do a search for the article on the Post’s website you’ll get nothing either. I had to get at it through Google. Very strange, isn’t it?
The National Post article is another example of media white-washing Gordon Campbell’s reputation to the rest of the country who know nothing of the havoc and crimes Campbell unleashed during his decade reign of BC, starting with his cousin Doug Wall fleecing the ministry of children and youth and cresting with the heist of BC Rail. The Globe and Mail also publishes flattering pieces on Campbell — a man who escaped legal consequences every dirty deed he wrought on British Columbians and is being celebrated and rewarded.
Read the National Post article at http://www.nationalpost.com/Canada+euro+interpreter/6175140/story.html
Canada’s Euro Interpreter
“Gordon Campbell, the former British Columbia premier, is outside the Canadian political fishbowl as he advances Canada’s interests as Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom. And he generally likes it that way.
“My name is Gordon Campbell, I’m the high commissioner to the United Kingdom,” the premier-turned-diplomat deadpans when asked a particularly political question in his office overlooking historic Grosvenor Square in London’s exclusive Mayfair district.
But Mr. Campbell– who resigned as premier last March, his popularity in freefall after his government’s controversial adoption of the harmonized sales tax after the 2009 election — doesn’t hesitate to return to his West Coast political roots to find arguments to defend Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s trade agenda in Europe.
(Response: I did mention that previous majority governments (except Turdeau…and even that was in very extreme circumstances) didn’t go as far as Harper to try to destroy Canadians’ civil protections. I just hope the clamour makes him realize he has gone too far..and he will pull back. h.o)
2 Keith // Feb 19, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Hi Harvey,
Yep you were right.
the irony of this legislation is it was announced at the same time they were congratulating themselves by doing away with the gun registry, which was touted as an assault on freedom and liberty blah blah blah. In addition it seems from some reports that Toews had not read all of the legislation, or understood the part where police have free will to do whatever, whenver. Funny how that part slipped his attention.
The hypocrisy from conservative supporters and mouthpieces is they were in support of dumping the gun registry, but not a peep to be heard on this intrusion into our freedoms and liberty. Squawking when it’s somebody else that intrudes, but keeping quite when it’s your own crowd.
It seems to me the authorities already have access to child pornographers. Every now and again the cops track one down locally, or a coordinated effort worldwide nabs a boatload of them.
The child pornography reason is just a talking point to deflect the true intention of another version of neo-con nutters. Expect more to come.
(Response: I actually have my doubts about the gun registry: seems to me only honest people registered …criminals did not…so I;’ not sure of the value, especially in light of the huge bureaucratic cost. But I share your point…those who fought hardest to get rid of the gun registry are now fighting hard to trample on our privacy rights. Go figure. h.o.)
3 13 // Feb 20, 2012 at 12:11 am
harvey, even a Harper supporter and right wing anti crime pro punishment type like myself has to agree. Im not sure why a clear thinking government would want to push the envelope to this extent.
I hope that the public push back is loud enough to put the brakes on this unlawful intrustion into our lives.
As for the pot growers . Hmmm. What number of plants does deserve jail?
(Response: I don’t think it’s the number that’s the problem; it’s the MANDATORY jail time. Even at six plants, there has to be discretion if it’s a person’s first conviction or 34th, whether there were kids living in the place etc. h.o)
4 islandpapa // Feb 20, 2012 at 12:13 am
as First, Section 33 tells us that, “The Minister may designate persons or classes of persons as inspectors for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of this Act.” So we’re not talking about police officers necessarily. We’re talking about anyone the minister chooses — or any class of persons. (Musicians? Left-handed hockey players? Members of the Conservative Party? Sure, that’s absurd — but the bill allows it…
posted by edstock over at the galloping beaver, the bill allows more than police to snoop….
(Responser: Even more scary then than I thought. h.o)
5 mariner // Feb 20, 2012 at 12:41 am
I don’t believe for one minute that Harper or the Tory government, will heed, what should be, the warning about unregulated privacy invasion by any law enforcement officer/agency.
That is fine with me, there is always the internet and TWITTER. It seems that “Anonymous” hackers have made a point of picking out “Sticky Vicky” and his indescretions, so the government will start to feel the heat. I thoroughly enjoyed watching John Baird lose it in the house. I think that showed the lack of control and immaturity of Baird – another person that I think, will be mentioned. No doubt – sooner or later, Harper himself will become the center of attraction and ridicule.
It appears that we don’t learn from history when we should. We have the makings of a very dictatorial regime, that seems to value little but their own ideology. They certainly do not respect the Canadian people or what the country used to stand for.
The way Harper and Toews have spoken publicly has been insulting to all Canadians. To try and spy on personal privacy reminds me of the “perverts that peek over walls or look through door keyholes”. It appears that the Tory standards are certainly not any better.
Playing China off against the USA is just plain dumb – the way our inexperienced Harper is trying to do. I see China playing and fooling with Canada – not the other way around.
As Stan said to Ollie – “what a fine pickle you have got us in” !
It looks like Harper is going to learn his lessons the hard way !!!!!!!!
6 kootcoot // Feb 20, 2012 at 12:52 am
“I actually have my doubts about the gun registry: seems to me only honest people registered …criminals did not”
That’s the point Harv. Any cop who depended on the registry when contemplating entering a premise suspected to harbour criminals would be certifiably dim-witted and should be retired with a mental disability before being shot. The previous regime, which mostly banned many types of armnaments like handguns and automatic weapons with cause and a permit were perfectly adequate if enforced (to the degree possible.
For law abiding Canadians the long gun registry was a scam to get folks to sign a post-dated search warrant for their home executable at any time the local constabulary was bored.
7 D. M. Johnston // Feb 20, 2012 at 5:14 am
The American media have a quaint term for the type of politico that supports this sort of legislation; corn-pone Fascism.
We live in an age of “Big Brother”; “Might is Right”; and “The government has the right to do what it wants, whenever it wants”.
Orwell was right, but was about 30 years out of date. Harper and his malignant crew don’t care about Canada, the rule of law or human rights, they are evangelical, born again Christians and as such, as deluded; as demented; as intolerant as any fundamentalist Muslim. They are all dangerous and those who follow these demigods are equally dangerous, with their naive blind trust of their leaders.
Until Canada becomes a democracy, we (the public) will suffer from the evil, narrow-minded, and corrupt, third world style politicians and political parties. It will not change, as all political parties are seduced by total power and Canada will slowly fragment as Canadians become disenchanted with the ruling regimes.
In the end, Canada will end with a whimper, with the ruling elites sucking the life-blood out of the country.
Harper & Co. are just speeding up this once great countries demise, with his American style corn-pone Fascism.
It is so sad, but I lost all faith in this country, as those who run the show, have exceeded my expectations, with their raping of Canadian law and Canadian values.
Herr Harper is just a poster child for the evil that runs the Conservative party, which in turn, runs the country.
8 StandUpForBC // Feb 20, 2012 at 6:11 am
islandpapa said: “Section 33 tells us that “The Minister may designate persons or classes of persons as inspectors for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of this Act.” S
You hit on something that seems to be a growing practice — broad powers of delegation written into legislation.
In BC, legislation was changed a short while ago to permit nursing home operators/managers to delegate any duties to any staff person. Seriously.
Anyone, including staff without medical training, say a cleaner, can be delegated to, for example, administer medication, provide nursing care, etc. All because of a teensy line added to a piece of legislation.
This legislation passed without any debate, likely because no one bothered to read what was being rammed down our throats by lawyers and politicians.
Thanks islandpapa for bringing this tidbit about “Bill 1984″ to our attention.
9 Crankypants // Feb 20, 2012 at 9:32 am
If the information revealed by Global National this evening is any indication of the scope of this bill then Toews is a bold-faced liar. We were told that the information that would be collected amounted to little more than stuff that would identify the subject and little else. Now it seems that the government would be able to harvest weeks of communications. Either Harper expects to have his majority for only one term or he is dumber than a stump.
The introduction of this bill has awakened the segment of the voting public that tends to ignore voting day as evidenced by the activity on Twitter. I guess that they have finally come to realize that governance can have an effect on their lives and will most likely be enticed to participate in future elections. By the responses reported on the newscasts, one could surmise that very few of them will be voting for the Conservatives.
The Conssrvatives do currently hold a majority and can pass everything they dream up if they so choose. The thing they seem to forget is that their tenure depends on renewal of support every four years. Draconian legislation such as this is not the best tactic to employ and could easily reduce them to third-party status in no time.
10 diverdarren // Feb 20, 2012 at 12:28 pm
It’s not the first time the Canadian gov has made moves against our privacy rights. I think the litmus test should be how the Conservatives respond to the peoples complaints.
The Liberals rammed bill C-68 the long gun registry with its unwarranted search provisions thru the house . The people complained but the libs used their majority and we all know what happened to the Liberal party. (Of course C-68 wasn’t the only factor)
The Conservatives would be well served to learn the lesson they served up to the Libs. If the Cons change up the bills language in committee, then good. The system still works. If they ram it thru, then we have a problem.
11 Jon S // Feb 20, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Vic Toews’ said that the bill is going to committee before the second reading which shows some form of sanity. But his sort of “oh I didn’t realize that was in the bill” shows he is either way over his head, incompetent or lying. If you are introducing a bill like this I would hope the minister would take the time to read and understand it first.
(Response: Exactly. That surprised me too: I could understand if it was one of gthose 6,000 page tax amendment bills, but this was not, and it deals with some very fundamental rights of Canadians. How ironic that the Conservatives, contrary to their own philosophy, are pushing such intrusive Big Brother State powers. Their own grass roots sholud be calling, writing about this one! h.o)
12 Ian Fromme-Nelson // Feb 20, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Officer Bubbles must be happy about this Bill — he’s been dying to get his hands (or should I say handcuffs?) on the folks who dared to mock him, call him a douche, or put vids on YouTube showing him shooting kittens out of trees…
This Bill shows how scared the Cons are of social media and its political power. They saw what happened with the Arab Spring, fueled by Twitter and blogs. Now more and more Canadians are seeing MainStream Media for the propaganda-spewing, corporate-controlled shills that they are, and so they’re getting the real truth from blogs such as yours, Harv. And the Cons and their corporate masters want to be able to shut them down. BILL C-30 is fascist, jackboot legislation. You and Brigette DePape were 100% right about a Con majority. ‘
Please keep on Keeping It Real, while its still legal!
13 Canadian Malcontent // Feb 20, 2012 at 4:38 pm
The introduction of this bill has awakened the segment of the voting public that tends to ignore voting day as evidenced by the activity on Twitter. I guess that they have finally come to realize that governance can have an effect on their lives and will most likely be enticed to participate in future elections.
=============
Unfortunately in the great Canadian tradition they will not remember in just over 3 1/2 when we vote again.
Harv wrote an article that explains how politicians operate quite well. ‘Lying and Deceiving the Voters Works’ http://harveyoberfeld.ca/blog/lying-and-deceiving-the-voters-works/
(Response: Yes…and believe it or not, sometimes I’m sad that I was quite right! h.o)
14 Canadian Malcontent // Feb 20, 2012 at 4:45 pm
The Liberals rammed bill C-68 the long gun registry with its unwarranted search provisions thru the house . The people complained but the libs used their majority and we all know what happened to the Liberal party. (Of course C-68 wasn’t the only factor)
==========
They won two more so called majorities and a minority afterward. They also lied about getting rid of the GST and still were not turfed. Voters in Canada have extremely short memories (unless it relates to NDP and that is due to the bias media in this country)
The libs will be back eventually. The NDP is done federally and sinking in Quebec and without Jack will be lucky to win 25 seats next time but the Libs will gain.. There is no viable opposition and no one running for NDP or Libs that can save the day and take on Harper plus with new seats for BC and AB and NDP/Lib vote splitting it will assure another con victory in 3 years 7 months.
(Response: Actually, the way the federal NDP has turned its back on BC and the way BC’s NDP MPs sold us out to Quebec interests and voted against giving BC the seats we JUSTLY deserve, I don’t think they deserve ANY seats out here next time around. And what really appals me is the silence or vapid excuses made for them by NDP supporters out here …who are so principiled in going after the Tories and the Libs. A pox on all of them right now. h.o)
15 Scotty on Denman // Feb 20, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Is it compulsiveness or does Harper actually believe thumbing his nose at the judiciary has cogent merit?
After blowing off his party’s conviction for electoral fraud (the “In and Out” scam) as merely interpretive, after interpreting the finding of contempt of parliament against his party as merely “interpretive,” after chest-thumping the Wheat Board bill through parliament even though the courts had preemptively found it illegal (Harper all the while trying to float the notion of the supposed “supremacy of parliament” over the courts,) he has clearly identified the judiciary as the fly in his ointment and appears to be taking comprehensive action. What, then, will he do now that one court has already dismissed a case where the Mandatory Minimum Sentence was deemed by the judge to be unconstitutional (that the MMS was cruel and unusual punishment because of prison over-crowding) and that the internet spying bill will inevitably be challenged itself.
Will he outlaw the law courts? After all, what good is a majority if parliament isn’t “supreme?”
16 islandpapa // Feb 20, 2012 at 5:02 pm
just for the record,the research reward goes to:
http://thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/2012/02/most-dangerous-legislation-ever-placed.html
just passing it on
ip
17 morry // Feb 20, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Harper is of a particular bad strain of the Genus Politician. A roque virus on the body politic.
His disregard for Parliament is shameful.
Hopefully enough Canadians will be cognizant enough to dispatch him to the hinterland come the next election.
18 Judi Sommer // Feb 20, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Hi Harvey, You’re right. Irony gallops on so many levels.
What I think sparked the outrage was Toew’s heated retort to a Liberal MP, saying that he must stand the the bill or with child molesters.(Echos of George W’s “your either with us or against us) As people began to look more carefully at the proposed legislation (nary the word child appeared) an avalanche of protests began-many from Harper’s own backbenchers as well as the Libertarians ,traditionally his supporters. The fact that the penny dropped and when he had a closer look at the wording, he did acknowledge that it held some surprises for him as well.
The twitter campaign flooding him with silly and often clever tweets I think is evidence that this bill awoke a sleeping public, I hope including a lot of young people who did not vote last time. here is an issue they find relevant to their lives.
Baird with jowls shaking in rightous indignation, tried at the end of the week to deflect attention away from this political fire storm by accusing the NDP of creating Vicileaks. Guess he knows something the RCMP don’t.
Toew’s did not and appears to have no intention of apologizing to the MP whose character he has attacked. Classy guy, right?
The fact that this bill has raised the ire of respected privacy commissioners and has had a flood of posts whenever the issue appears in print is promising.
Predictions, anyone?Will Harper distance himself from this mess?
What a wild week in The House. Harvey, you must miss not being in Ottawa reporting on the fray.
(Response: Yes, it would have been a fun week in Ottawa …and covering the legisl my “style” would be a hoot all year round these days! Like maybe asking EVERY DAY “Why is the HST still being charged Is your government really so slow or are you just cashing in so much, you’re stalling to bring in extra hundreds of millions of dollars to try and buy people’s votes with goodies just before the next election?”. Bet they’d find a way to get rid of it faster!
h.o.
19 Brian // Feb 20, 2012 at 9:39 pm
We need to do what Austraila did and make it manditory to vote in all elections. This would weed out the crazy people.
20 r // Feb 20, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Our government exposes itself
“We will purchase the F-35. We’re on record. We’re part of the crusade. We’re not backing down.”
— Julian Fantino, associate minister of national defence, Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 8, 2011.
21 Judi Sommer // Feb 20, 2012 at 11:18 pm
Gee Harvey, Since you’ve changed the conversation a bit, here’s a question.
The Builders’ Association finally caught a break of sorts as their sector was being hammered.(The fact that they have been traditional $$ supporters is another issue) This is good for the trades and building suppliers, but given the fact that the Liberals supposedly couldn’t negotiate an HST deal with the feds before April 2013,(Vaughn Palmer) out of what tax basket does this break come? Feds? Provincail? Both? There are a lot of other business sectors who continue to struggle in the meantime, let alone we plebs.How does this all work? Some animals are more equal than others?
(Response: Will probably do more on that in my post-budget blog. h.)
22 r // Feb 20, 2012 at 11:19 pm
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20120215-40743.html
23 Gloria // Feb 20, 2012 at 11:30 pm
Harper isn’t a true Canadian, he’s a Reformer. He is running Canada by the way of his fascist party, the Northern Foundation Party, back in 1989. They said, the skinheads assisted Harper to organize his shady party. Deb Grey said, Harper is still a Reformer. Harper’s henchmen are as fanatic as Hitler’s were.
So, I guess we are pedophiles, because we don’t stand with, the fanatic Toews. What does Toews stand for? He should clean up his own backyard, before he starts on ours. Then we have Oliver ranting, how we are destroying all Harper’s chances, for being the energy king of the planet, by opposing the Enbridge pipeline. Except that is, Harper is permitting China to buy out the tar sands. And, Baird another ranting henchman. Harper IS the mess in Canada.
Fadden of CSIS warned about China’s encroachment into Canada. Campbell gave our mill industry to China, along with our raw logs. China owns BC mines. China is bringing their people over, to work in China’s tar sands projects, our mines and into the company’s China owns in Canada. China refuses to pay WCB to injured workers in the tar sands. China pays their people starvation wages. They refuse to pay Canadian wages in their resource projects.
Harper said he made a deal with China. He will protect China’s company’s in Canada. China must protect Canadian company’s in China, who are being ripped off by China’s corruption. Factories moved to China, for the cheap labor and the even more cheap, child labor. I find it very hard to feel sorry for the greedy outfits, only too happy to exploit cheap Chinese labor. China will not obey, Canadian laws, rules, nor the work regulations of Canada. They already have done so. China is sending freighter after freighter to BC, for our raw logs. The Campbell/Clark BC Liberals, have done no reforestation. Now, the idiots want to log the last rain forests there are in all of Canada.
Harper sold us to a Communist country.
(Response:Actually, I think real Reformers would be appalled at this kind of invasive tracking of citizens without a warrant. Can you imagine what they would say if Trudeau brought this in!!!! I think what we need in covering the current way the government is acting… is Monty Mython’s Flying Circus. The Minister of Silly Walks can be updated to the Minister of Not-So-Funny Talk etc. h.o)
24 Henri // Feb 20, 2012 at 11:34 pm
But who would have thought that they’d be SO BOLD as to try to do away with one of the basic rights of EVERY free society: the requirement that police seek a warrant BEFORE invading your personal privacy, tracking cellphone calls, intercepting and monitoring your Internet activities. And it would require the companies to install equipment for real-time surveillance of your activities … that the police could then access without a warrant. h.o
—————————-
No so. The cops must get search warrants ,unless there is immediate danger to someone in which case they can act without a warrant .
(Response: Not quite. Yes they will need a warrant to download all the info the Internet and Cellphone companies will have recorded …possibly for MONTHS! But by what right in a democratic society does ANYONE have to track you..monitor who you make phone calls to …where you go with your phone ..or what websites you visit (like that troublesome one for governments, Keeping it Real!!) … before even getting a warrant??? No way, not in my democratic Canada. h.o)
25 Henri // Feb 21, 2012 at 12:41 am
I think people got ahead of themselves on this topic, as the provincial privacy commissioners along with the federal privacy commissioner were immediately onto the government like fleas on a dogs back over most of this bill.
The firearms act was far more intrusive,but obviously most folks contributing to the topic here were never aware of its full ramifications, ( excluding kootcoot) particularly males.
26 Rocker Rich // Feb 21, 2012 at 8:59 am
A couple of unexamined parts of this overreach:
• Interesting how the Association of Police Chiefs stands cheek-to-jowl with Toews in supporting this proposed bill.
Remember how that same goup opposed
scrapping the long-gun registry?
Could the Tories beserving up our privacy rights to
placate the Chiefs?
• How come no media has analyzed whether Manitoba’s justice system permits publication of details from contested divorces? Everyone seems to assume that the Toews affidavits were leaked. Maybe they were. Or maybe Manitoba doesn’t seal divorce pleadings like here in BC.
(Response: And if the police insist the bill actually gives them almost nothing WITHOUT as warrant …then why do they need it??? It doesn’t take long to get a warrant when justified …esp as part of a several-month-long investigation. Or maybe they just want to track ANYONE who they worry about (like community leaders, activists, bloggers) until they can find something to go after them on? Maybe they should call it The Law to Enable Fishing by Police Forces for Fun snd Intimidation. h.o)
27 mariner // Feb 21, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Henri,
Just shows how bad the governments are when it comes to trying to sway public mood and opinion.
The fact that you think the firearms act was more intrusive than the so called” Child Pornography Protection Act” doesn’t make this legal sham any better – quite the opposite. There isn’t a single reference re children in the act !
We have a federal government hiding behind children again to try and get their way – remember, the RCMP were enlisting the help of “young first nation children” to tell the police what was going on on their reservees.
This is how low the Conservative government of Canada stoops under the rule of king Stephen Harper – DICK-Tator in chief.
There is adequate control – possibly too much, under the current regulations, except a judges approval is required. The Tories are trying, again, to bypass current legal requirements and make this country into a “fascist regime” – sorry, but that just about describes what is going on here.
This new act C-30, is all about prying and delving into the affairs of the citizens of Canada – much like what happened in Poland, Russia, Nazi Germany – and many other countries even today. CHINA our major partner in the Alberta Tar Sand fiasco is a prime example.
Sorry about the direction change, but connect all the little pieces together and it sure looks like China is pulling the strings indirectly, and Harper is doing their bidding !
28 mariner // Feb 21, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Interesting story on “unauthorized monitoring” on the CBC – including many unanswered legal questions.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/02/20/bc-trackingdevice.html
Thanks
29 r // Feb 21, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Harper govt .next harper province next harper country.?
30 ThirstyDeer // Feb 22, 2012 at 12:34 am
I was wondering when you would do a piece on this issue… you just couldn’t stay away from this one could ya
You’re absolutely right in most things you say. I was repulsed by the fact that my government considers me a supporter of child pornography solely because I don’t believe in a police state.
Warrants have a specific process for a reason – to ensure that any invasion of privacy is justified and not just the result of blind game of pin the tail on the donkey. The police community of course cheers for this action – saying it will be a great tool for them. Of course the not so publicly announced flip side of this is that all known research and data on this issue has led to the same conclusion: there is NO benefit to this form of invasive legislation.
The mentality of this government was forever carved in stone when they laid they gave the country an ultimatum: you’re with us (or “ME” Stephen Harper) or against ME.
(Response: Something tells me this is just the beginning. Unless Conservative members themselves remind Harper etc that theirs is a party that does NOT want government or its agencies getting into our private or corporate lives unless really necessary and then only with some sort of review/approval/warrant process. h.o)
31 larben // Feb 22, 2012 at 3:19 pm
God Almighty, how soon we forget. It was the Liberals who gave police the right to burst into your home because you owned guns w/o warrant. I’m with kootcoot and Driverdarren here; let’s us see how it goes through committee and all the checks and balances before we go getting all excited.
Remember too, that we now have a network working for the people, called SunMedia – They’re working on it!
(Response: You sure cops didn’t need a warrant to go into your house just because they suspect you have an unregistered gun? And IF that’s true, at least they would have to have proof og guilt first…or face a terrible lawsuit if wrong. In the latest attack on our rights, the police would NOT need to have EVIDENCE ..just a hunch or some unproven info or a belief based on …what? h.o)
32 Henri // Feb 22, 2012 at 7:01 pm
As I stated in comment #24, The cops must get search warrants ,unless there is “immediate” danger to someone ,in which case they can act without a warrant , but are still accountable after the fact.
Many are reading things into this bill that don’t even exist, probably Liberal , NDP Green supporters who are hoping to set everyone’s hair on fire.
e.g. Harv says, In the latest attack on our rights, the police would NOT need to have EVIDENCE ..just a hunch or some unproven info or a belief based on …what?
H.o thats even sillier than your analogy of the unregistered gun.
What happens if they come into a place that the owner or occupant doesn’t posses a computer, then what?
As one of the internet carriers executive says, if your concerned about your privacy on the internet then maybe you should not be saying or showing something you want to keep private.
Its not only the cops you should be concerned so much about e.g. a neighbour or someone scorned ,an employer, business partner, they can have you watched, monitored, have you tracked, all without your knowing about it, obviously your not keeping up with all the news on this technology and as to what has been occurring to people.
Response: You clearly don’t get it. Without justifying a warrrant BEFORE tracking, monitoring people, WHO is going to question police requests before interenet/cell phone companies proceed to comply with police requests? Do you really think if a couple of cops show up at their offices, an office worker or even some technical bureaucratt those companies, is going to question or hassle them to justify the action? NEVER! And who decides what is an urgent matter? The cops themselves! That’s why we have had WARRANTS for a hundred years or more …to protect us from those potential abuses by police. It’s when people think this is “silly” and don’t stand up for our privacy and legal protection that we lose our rights. h.o)
33 larben // Feb 22, 2012 at 10:44 pm
No Harvey, as a registered hand-gun owner, the police have the right to enter my home w/o a warrant, you may check on that if you like, but my understanding is that they never (or seldom did) because they knew they would lose in a a court of law, if challenged on constitutional grounds.
(Response: The issue was whether they had the right to burst into someone’s home WITHOUT A WARRANT just because they suspected they had an unregistered gun. I say NO … unless perhaps if there is an urgent police action (reports of shooting/kidnapping) etc underway. That’s quite different from monitoring people for months. No exactly urgent …well able to get a warrant, I say. h.o)
34 larben // Feb 25, 2012 at 1:41 am
I repeat – I know you don’t like SunMedia, but today Charles Adler just repeated what I said in the first place. Gun owners do not have any privacy rights in this regard, and it is for the simple fact that they are the LAWFUL owners of a gun or guns. The police still don’t need a warrant or a reason for coming into your house and seizing, not only your weapons, but absolutely anything they want. I know that is hard for liberals to believe, but then, few of you would own a gun. If you had checked out the law like I suggested, then you didn’t bother to call and apologize, or just admit you were wrong.
That is MY issue; and it should be yours!
(Response: Your wrote: “The police still don’t need a warrant or a reason for coming into your house and seizing, not only your weapons, but absolutely anything they want.” Ridiculous. Unless there’s a clearly demonstrated urgency, they cannot just do that. And just because Adler says they can does not make that true. h.o)
35 larben // Feb 25, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Liberals refuse to accept anything that might cast them in a bad light. It is like the pink T-shirt thing, wherein our children are made to wear these in order to inculcate in their minds the normality of sodomy and lesbianism, even though their parents want them brought up with a different sexual ethic. The teachers and the school board are always right, and though no one has a problem about teaching our children that bullying is wrong, instead their children will be press-ganged into the narrower concept. And I think with that, I will retreat from the field where I have proven my point. The police may have a reason, but they needn’t explain to you what it is!
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