Ottawa's anti-terror, corruption crackdowns show the problem with rushing in

The federal government has recently taken two strong initiatives linked to the troubled state of the world — one designed to counter potential corruption and bribery by Canadian firms abroad, the other to confront the jihadist threat at home.

Both are meant, at least in part, to toughen up Canada's image in the world, and both have stirred up considerable opposition among those who think Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expanding government powers too far.

Anti-terror Tories scare up votes

It’s hard to imagine a worse time than an election year to tinker with the fundamental freedoms of speech, association and political convictions of Canadians. But that’s what is happening with the new federal anti-terrorism legislation now before Parliament.

The governing Conservatives are quite obviously hoping to capitalize on the public fears they’ve worked so hard to promote. After all, why scare people if it doesn’t get you votes?

Bill C-51: CSIS oversight body lacks resources, former member Bob Rae says

As the government's anti-terrorism bill is set to enhance the powers of the national spy agency, a former member of the independent body that watches over the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is concerned it is not equipped to provide sufficient oversight.

Bob Rae — the former premier of Ontario and one-time interim leader of the Liberal Party — was for five years a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, which keeps tabs on CSIS.

Oversight lacking, but we’re backing anti-terror bill

Last October, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Ottawa, Canada witnessed horrific events that will not soon be forgotten, nor should they be.

They were cowardly acts: unarmed men were murdered in cold blood at close range.

These attacks on both our military and our most cherished democratic symbols were designed to frighten us. They were meant to embed within our minds an image of terror. They were meant to make us think differently about our surroundings and fellow citizens.

The heart of our democracy in a time of terror -- In praise of red tape

On the day after a madman stormed Centre Block, there was defiance and appreciation. “We are here, in our seats, in our chamber, in the very heart of our democracy,” Stephen Harper said in the House of Commons on Oct. 23, “and our work goes on.”

Three months later, one of the government’s parliamentary secretaries was sent out to shoo away suggestions that the occupants of those hallowed seats—”In all its diversity of peoples and opinions, this House personifies the spirit of Canada,” the Prime Minister said in October—should have greater insight into the operations of our national security apparatus. “We are not interested in creating needless red tape,” Roxanne James explained.

Virtually all mainstream media outlets think Harper’s new “anti-terrorism” bill is insane

On 30 January 2015, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his new “anti-terrorism” bill (C-51), which he claims will keep Canadians safe. The omnibus bill seeks to make sweeping changes to Canadian law, including: extending unprecedented powers to the secretive Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) “to disrupt” activities, lowering the threshold for detaining terror suspects, increasing sharing of private information about Canadians, and criminalizing the speech of anyone who “advocates or promotes” terrorism. On this last point, advocacy and promotion of terrorism are not defined in the legislation so it’s anyone’s guess which speech might be criminalized. What we do know, however, is that the Conservatives have previously labelled Canadians actively advocating for the environment and opposing oil and gas pipeline construction as “eco-terrorists”. So it seems this law could cast a disturbingly wide net; for example, it’s conceivable that an activist advocating direct action to protect the environment could be thrown in jail for five years under C-51. 

Four reasons Harper's new anti-terrorist legislation will alarm you

1. CSIS with new intrusive powers will have more than "Jihadists" in its sights

Prime Minister Stephen Harper talked only about "violent Jihadists" when he held a campaign style rally last Friday to unveil his new security legislation.

But the actual "anti-terrorist" omnibus Bill C-51 makes no reference to such enemies of Canada. It merely talks in entirely undefined ways about "terrorism."

Edward Snowden Warns Canadians To Be 'Extraordinarily Cautious' Over Anti-Terror Bill

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden addressed students at a Toronto private school via video link on Monday to warn about the perils of being complacent as the government makes sweeping changes to Canada’s anti-terrorism laws.

“I would say we should always be extraordinarily cautious when we see governments trying to set up a new secret police within their own countries,” Snowden said in a livestream feed from Russia. He made reference to Bill C-51, legislation tabled by the Conservative government days earlier.

Parliament must reject Harper’s secret policeman bill

Prime Minister Stephen Harper never tires of telling Canadians that we are at war with the Islamic State. Under the cloud of fear produced by his repeated hyperbole about the scope and nature of the threat, he now wants to turn our domestic spy agency into something that looks disturbingly like a secret police force.

Canadians should not be willing to accept such an obvious threat to their basic liberties. Our existing laws and our society are strong enough to stand up to the threat of terrorism without compromising our values.

Anti-terrorism provisions potentially harmful

There are many reasons to be appalled by the haphazard, overbearing and ill-defined provisions criminalizing the general promotion of terrorism that were presented by the federal Conservative government on Friday, but worst of all is the potential they have to actually increase the likelihood of radicalization and terrorism in Canada.

Under the bill, those who encourage terrorist attacks (which are defined in many different ways) via signs, writing, audio or video recordings, or other visual representations could face up to five years in prison. The Conservatives haven’t really explained the rationale yet, though it seems to come down to the assertion that, as Justice Minister Peter MacKay put it following the shootings here in Ottawa in October, pro-jihadi media are “poisoning young minds.”

Anti-terror bill briefing for MPs scheduled during question period

A briefing tomorrow for MPs regarding the government's proposed anti-terror legislation is set for a rather inconvenient time: the middle of question period.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney's office sent an invitation to MPs on Wednesday to tell them the briefing on the latest anti-terrorism measures will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, just down the hall from the House of Commons.

Question period on Fridays runs earlier than on other days, starting at 11 a.m. ET rather than 2 p.m.

Inside the Orwellian Launch of Tories' Anti-Terrorism Act

Reporters in Ottawa became surly quickly Friday when it was discovered the government lock-up they attended for a briefing on proposed anti-terror legislation was light on information and heavy on restrictions.

The federal government was tabling Bill C-51, Canada's new ''Anti-Terrorism Act'' meant to bolster authorities' powers to prevent and dismantle terrorist activity.

Journalists were corralled in a so-called lock-up to hear details of the new proposed law. Media lock-ups are frequently used to provide journalists with extra time to pore over information on a complicated subject, such as a budget. The reporters can't publish their pieces until a set time, usually when the government announcement becomes official.

The idea is that when the government unveils the news, the public will have instant access to the finer points of whatever is being released.

CSIS powers to be expanded under Harper's 'Anti-Terrorism Act'

The government has tabled its massive new prevention of terrorism legislation.

It includes a new offence: knowingly "advocating" commission of terrorism offences "in general."

The key words here are "in general."

Currently, it is a crime to advocate or promote a specific terrorist act. Now it will be a crime to more broadly promote something at once more general and more ephemeral, in ways the law does not define.

New Anti-Terror Bill Could Put Chill On Freedom Of Speech

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last weekend that new anti-terror legislation to be introduced on Friday will, among other things, “criminalize the promotion of terrorism.”

Such a move, however, could have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Canada and would not necessarily contribute to effectively fighting domestic extremism, according to legal experts.

The new bill aimed at combating domestic threats was promised by the federal government in the weeks following the October attacks in Quebec and Ottawa that left two members of the Canadian Forces dead.

CSIS To Be Given 'Power To Disrupt,' Not Arrest, In New Anti-Terror Bill

Canada's spy agency is expected to be given new powers to stop would-be Canadian jihadists before they leave the country as part of sweeping new anti-terrorism measures being unveiled Friday.

Sources familiar with the proposed legislation tell CBC News the goal is to give the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service the kinds of legal tools that are available to intelligence services in other Western countries.

We have a new anti-terror bill. Anyone else terrified?

Under Stephen Harper’s reign — and a reign it is — Canada has entered a kind of maple syrup Middle Ages.

Covered by the most treacly platitudes, things happen without solid reasons and at the pleasure of the king. Sometimes, the way the official narrative unfolds is funny in a macabre sort of way.

Take those Mounties at this week’s terror-arrest presser. They looked like extras from Jason Kenney’s department fresh from impersonating new citizens on Sun TV. No wonder the Big Bust was laughed off Fox News as a bunch of guys self-censoring in multiple languages.

'We've just stripped away essential safeguards': Civil libertarians decry new 'anti-terror' law

With last night's passing of the Combating Terrorism Act (Bill S-7), Canada quietly marked the return of controversial post-9/11 anti-terrorism legislation -- granting authorities "exceptional" abilities to detain Canadians, preemptively, for three days without charge, and imprisoning anyone for up to a year who refuses to testify before new "investigative hearings."

 The Conservative bill, mirroring the previous Liberal administration's 2002 measure which had expired under a sunset clause six years ago, passed with the latter party's support, although Liberal MP Irwin Cotler (who was Attorney General from 2003-6) said he would vote for the bill hoping it would be reviewed.

Terror bill becomes law despite concerns over civil liberties, redundancy

OTTAWA — As passions flared in the wake of a foiled terror plot to attack a Via Rail passenger train, parliamentarians passed a controversial bill Wednesday to give law enforcement additional tools to stop such activities before they escalate.

Though never before been used, a number of the provisions have been on the books before. Critics, who’ve raised concerns about the bill’s impact on civil liberties, say this week’s arrests are proof the measures are not needed, while experts offer mixed reviews.

Canada Anti-Terror Bill S-7 Passes House Of Commons

OTTAWA - When the Conservatives suddenly decided to bring anti-terrorism legislation to a vote, they pinned the urgency on current events.

The move to go ahead with the Combating Terrorism Act after it had sat in the House of Commons for months came days after twin explosions at the Boston Marathon killed three and wounded scores more.

Meanwhile, officials continue to probe links between an attack at a gas plant in Algeria last January and a group of men from London, Ont.

Conservative anti-terror bill and arrests match up beautifully, don’t they

How odd. The week after the Boston bombings, the Conservative government had MPs suddenly debating an anti-terror bill that had long been hanging around with its hands in its pockets. The very same day, conveniently, the RCMP arrested two alleged terrorists.

They had a tip from an imam, the cops said. They got it a year ago.