Sun to set on Canada’s post 9/11 police powers

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A Colin Newell Post
Canada is set to roll-back some of the police powers the Canadian government and courts granted post 9/11.

The Canadian Liberal party, currently in partnership with the NDP and Conservatives in a minority government, have withdrawn support for the controversial laws set to expire at the end of next week.

The former Liberal majority government, under then prime minister Jean Chretien, rushed the sweeping changes in the stressful weeks following 9/11, arguing law-enforcement needed better tools for dealing with the palpable threat of terror.

In response to concerns the new laws would trample civil liberties, the government of the day placed a sunset clause on the far-reaching legislation. Well, the day is almost upon us.
The current Conservative government (in minority) have tabled a motion to extend the provisions of the law for three years. Lacking Liberal, NDP(Socialist) and Bloc(French) support the bill will die on the vine.

This shift of thinking from the Liberal left has shocked many in the security industry, not surprisngly.

This claw-back of police powers puts Canada on a substantially more moderate track than World security partners, the U.S., Britain and Australia.

Canada’s security laws function thusly: A preventive arrest clause allows police to arrest suspects without warrant and detain them for upwards of 48 hours or more, without charge — if they (the police) suspect that the subjects of interest may do something or are thinking of doing something unlawful.

In the 5 years since the act has come into force, it has never been used. Yes neighbor, we Canadian’s are that law abiding. Although I have to admit, there have been times where I have had unlawful thoughts. You know: Will I pass the car ahead of me over a double-solid line?

Anyway, I think we are on the right track – but I can only speak for Canadians… not meaning to set any examples for anyone else, begging your pardon and all eh.
From the great white tundra that is Canada, I am Colin Newell.

Anna Nicole Smith: a very slow news day

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Condolences to those few directly affected by Anna Nicole Smith’s sudden demise.

Active ImageStill, while CNN and FOX go into 24/7 wall-to-wall dead Playmate mode, here are a few other things they could be talking about today:

• North Korea may agree to disarm its nuclear program.

• Hamas and Fatah have reached an accord giving the Palestinians a united front.

• NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan says more troops will be needed to fight the Taliban, but many large NATO nations don’t want to send them.

• Iran has just tested a missile which can strike US ships in the Persian Gulf, and they promise to retaliate for any attack. Still, Bush’s advisers are pushing for war.

So you can see why Anna Nicole’s death is getting all the coverage. Slow news day.

Incidentally, you’re looking at a montage of the front pages of CBS News, ABC News, MSNBC, CNN, and FOX News, at 7 pm est. Every single goddam network.

To review: news shows are, yes, shows. They do not make money by providing us useful information. They make money by providing us… to the advertisers.

And according to the Google News "Most Popular" section, we care a great deal about dead Playmates, stalker astronauts in diapers, Ryan O’ Neal getting arrested, and Britney Spears not being a lesbian.

So that’s what we get.

When we can’t find Iran on a map but we’re willing to kill Iranians — and then we wonder why the world doesn’t exactly run the way we figured — it’s not CNN’s fault.

It’s ours.