H/t We Don't Want This
The most egregious, anti-democratic elements of Harper's terror Bill C-51 are the following:
-jail for 5 years if someone posts anything counter to the government and that could be interpreted as a terrorist posting in general;
-secret trials;
-indefinite detention without charge;
-sharing of information between all departments of government without concern for privacy;
-secret police;
-no civilian oversight;
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I see that the Commons anti-terror committee, a majority of whom are Conservatives, will not be permitting testimony from Joe Clark, John Turner, Jean Chrétien or Paul Martin, all four former prime ministers who have publicly criticized Bill C-51. Some things (actually, many things) are unforgivable in Harperland, I guess.
They are determined to undermine the Charter, Lorne. The Supreme Court is our last line of defense.
ReplyDeletei can't help but wonder what the next Harper salvo against the Supreme Court will be, Owen.
Delete.. the other day, I was thinking about 'the Base' ..
ReplyDeletethat unusual group of committed voters for Stephen Harper..
plus truly fervent media.. Lilley, Levant et al
wondering what caused their odd shrill partisan malady
And I was also thing about the Harper apparatus - Party & Government
and the retinue of PMO, lawyers, RoboCall vendors, pollsters etc etc
and beyond belief wealthy corporate partners & think tanks
you know, the folks that truly benefit from their complicity
And then I thought about the rest of Canada.. voters, people, kids, elders etc
and within that group I guess falls Trudeau & Mulcair, May et al
all with some sort of perspective or belief in what exactly Canada stands for
province to province, urban rural, young old, employed or unemployed etc
I can't claim any blinding insight came from that particular thinking session
it was really just musing to myself on how laughable or insane the reality is..
I asked myself some simple questions though.. about what defines Canadians
now.. like right now.. A majority of Canadians.. and to a certain extent..
eligible voter Canadians.. When they vote.. what drives that decision?
Or even if not voting, what drives their perception of Canada
and their perception of the politics or politicians currently serving Canadians..
You know.. as elected public servants.. or paid public servants ?
I plan to write a 'rant' .. like the 'I am Joe' kind of rant..
and I want to write it correctly.. because I'm not Joe.. I'm me
and I want the rant to speak to and speak for current Canadians
And if I can't exactly put my thumb on what describes all Canadians
or what the particular dreams, needs or wishes of each or all Canadians are ..
I certainly want to identify what I'm certain they do not want or believe in..
as well as the issues or action or realities that give them pause, fear & doubts
I get that Canadians may not support Trudeau, Mulcair, Ms May etc
as being a clear improvement over Mr Harper & his record or promises
and that bothers me.. It really truly scares me, as a Canadian..
That we have no obvious and clear alternative to a despicable flailing government
How can this be? That we must even contemplate such a catastrophic failure?
I'll think on this some more.. work on my rant..
and hope Duffy & Harper's key associates' testimonies
at the very least send the toxic government, party and apparatus packing
My blog, as always, is open for your use, Salamander. Perhaps to aid you in your deliberations, I shall post your comment as a separate entry, in case others would like to weigh in on the questions you pose here.
DeleteI agree with Owen, "They are determined to undermine the Charter". This is their goal with almost all the unconstitutional legislation they put forth. I'm reading Lawrence Martin's book "Harperland" and more then anything he captures and reveals Harper for the dictator he is and this book was written before he got his majority.
ReplyDeleteI have read the book, Pamela, and it is a chilling account of the man leading our country into areas we once held sacrosanct.
Delete