By Kimberley Love
There's an old joke that goes "even paranoids have enemies". It's a good time in Canada to keep that joke in mind. Prime MinisterHarper has pushed forward Bill C-51 using scary language – "a great evil descending on our world" – to amplify the so-called terrorist threat to Canada. And he's used that emotionally charged language as cover for legislation that intrudes on the rights of individual Canadian citizens.
So let's ask the real question. Which is the greater danger to Canada: terrorism, or the fallout from anti-terror legislation that sacrifices our rights?
People concerned about the over-reach of government into the rights of individual Canadian citizens - rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and due legal process have been asking this question. This backlash produced cosmetic changes to C-51 announced Friday. But you would have to be naive to imagine that such a question was relevant to the considerations that brought C-51 forward in the first place. Bill C-51 is one of a series of distractions, aimed at diverting theattention of the electorate from the real issues facing Canada in the upcoming federal election.
-by David McLaren
The terrorists will have won if we voluntarily surrender the very rights and freedoms Mr Harper says they hate us for.
For that is what Bill C-51 is, a surrender.
I have read the Bill, and I've read the terrorist provisions now in the Criminal Code, and the new Canadian Security Intelligence Act that passed into law even as Parliament began debate on new police powers for the Canadian Security Intelligent Service under C-51.
In the Criminal Code there are already a dozen definitions of terrorism. In section 83.01, a terrorist activity must “serve a political, religious or ideological purpose … and with the intention of intimidating the public … or compelLINg a person, a government … to do or refrain from doing any act … and that intentionally causes death” or harm, including harm to an essential service. (s.83.01(1)b)
That this works is proven by the various hair-brained and hair-raising schemes police and CSIS have already uncovered and put before the courts.
Trending #4 on Twitter. Newspaper stories in national dailies. Clips on network television and conversations on both CBC and Talk Radio. Seven word quotes that fit easily in soundbites and headlines.
This week Owen Sound and Grey County have had free "ink and air" worth millions of dollars in the advertising world; attention that marketers only dream about.
Is there really "no such thing as bad publicity"?
You may have voted for Larry Miller as your MP. You may agree with his feelings about the Supreme Court decision that the Conservative government's ban on wearing face coverings in citizenship ceremonies violated Canada's Citizenship Act. But you have also paid taxes to create economic development and tourism strategies at both the city and county levels and offer incentives to prospective developers. Has this week's focus on our region leveraged this investment in a positive way?
By Jon Farmer
I moved back to Owen Sound in the depth of winter when the temperature was regularly dropping into the negative 20s and frozen pipes had left over a hundred houses without water. Despite the chilly reception, my home town quickly reminded me how warm it can be...
On Monday March 16th, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound member of parliament Larry Miller appeared on the CFOS Radio call-in show the "Open Line" with Bill Murdoch. During the show, a caller claimed that he "knew it was wrong" to cover one's face during citizenship ceremonies. Mr. Miller stated his position and then said "I think most Canadians feel the same."
At the Hub we are curious whether our readers agree. Do most Canadians feel this way? Who are "most Canadians" and how do we determine how they feel on this subject? We invite you to submit your opinion in writing to both the Hub and Mr. Miller's office.
CopyRight ©2015, ©2016, ©2017 of Hub Content
is held by content creators
