Weak-kneed opposition lets Conservative terror bill sail thr

Weak-kneed opposition lets Conservative terror bill sail thr

Postby Oscar » Fri Feb 06, 2015 5:53 pm

Weak-kneed opposition lets Conservative terror bill sail through: Walkom

[ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015 ... alkom.html ]

The Liberals and NDP are afraid to criticize the substance of Bill C-51. Too bad. There is a lot they could say.

By: Thomas Walkom National Affairs, Published on Tue Feb 03 2015

The only criticism of the deeply flawed Bill C-51 levelled by Justin Trudeau's Liberals (and the NDP) is that it doesn’t provide parliamentary oversight, writes Thomas Walkom.

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled his new anti-terror bill last week, Canada’s two main opposition parties were loath to criticize it.

Both New Democratic Party Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal chieftain Justin Trudeau danced warily around the substance of Bill C-51.

They had nothing to say about measures that would criminalize speech the government deemed pro-terrorist.

They had no views on proposals that would give 17 security agencies access to any information in any government department on any Canadian.

They said nothing about a section of the bill that would permit the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to engage in illegal and unconstitutional dirty tricks.

Indeed, the only criticism of Bill C-51 levelled by the Liberals and New Democrats to date is that it doesn’t provide parliamentary oversight of security agencies that have been given these new powers.

Which is another way of saying to Harper: We don’t mind if you erode civil liberties, as long as you let a few of us in on what you’re up to.

Why are Canada’s usually obstreperous opposition parties so meek? Alas, they are afraid — afraid that if they criticize the substance of Bill C-51, Harper will paint them as soft on terror.

So far, the only opposition MP with enough guts to critique the content of the Conservative government’s new anti-terror bill is Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

She said Monday in the Commons that it would turn CSIS into a “secret police force.”

She also asked if the bill’s remarkably broad definition of crimes against the security of Canada included anti-pipeline protests (and got no answer).

MORE:

[ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015 ... alkom.html ]
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9078
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

Return to Canada's Government Spy Agency - Bill C-51

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron