" You can either stand with us or with child pornographers", Public Safety Minister Vic Toews to those opposed to "Protecting Chuildren from Internet Predators Act", called the "online spying" act by critics. This act will allow the police to "build a detailed profile of people, including law-abiding citizens, using their digital footprint without judicial oversight".It will require telecommunications, (internet and cell phone) companies to hand over customer information to the police without a court order. Even Ontario's privacy commissioner has called the government tactics "fearmongering". The bill can require companies to install equipment for real-time surveillance and will create special powers for police to access the data.. Accessing personal information without judicial oversight is cause for concern as it can lead to abuse, loss of privacy and limits on free speech as well as the presumption of guilt and " reverse onus"i.e. putting the burden on accused to prove innocence.
This is a government of control freaks, who are intent on limiting freedoms and who want to emphasise punishment not rehabilitation as the center-piece of their "law and order" agenda. In the past they have closed "prison farms", where prisoners are allowed to work outside. Why should they be allowed the "luxury " of working outside when they can be locked up inside?
Then there is the Tackling Violent Crime Act, whose center-piece is mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of "serious gun crimes" This was gutted by Ontario Superior Court Judge Anne Molloy, in the case of a young man sentenced to three years . He was making poses for a webcam, pretending to be a gangsta, waving a pistol. It was deemed to " cruel and unusual punishment". Three years for waving a gun in front of a webcam. No wonder, the Ref/Cons are building more jails, at a time when rates of violent crime is falling steadily since the 90s.
C-10 is nine laws cobbled together, which the government had tried to pass when they were in a minority. It is designed to tackle among other things, pedophiles and and organised crime, but it also include other provisions eg. possession of as few as six marijuana plants can be sentenced to six-months in prison. Minister Toews has also stated that where human life is at risk, CSIS can use information obtained by torture. This overturns years of Canadian policy and the findings of the Arar Inquiry. This is the same Toews whose most recent bill give unprecedented powers to police to obtain data without warrant and who accused critics of siding with "child pornographers".
There is a pattern here. The social agenda of the government is quite straightforward. They will censor what they don't like to see or read or hear. They will increase police powers even if goes against basic freedoms, allow warrantless search and seizure, demand from telecommunication companies any information they want, build a detailed profile of any and every one from the data obtained, impose mandatory minimum sentences, build more prisons for those criminalised by their new punitive laws and even use information obtained from torture.
It is time for Canadians to wake up from their torpor. Your freedoms are more and more threatened. Your society is being reshaped. Your values are being replaced and if you dare to complain and critize the government, you will be attacked as being "with them". Bullying and fearmongering have become the chief cudgels used to get you to cower and accept. Be afraid, be very afraid. Big Brother is real and he is here.
This is a government of control freaks, who are intent on limiting freedoms and who want to emphasise punishment not rehabilitation as the center-piece of their "law and order" agenda. In the past they have closed "prison farms", where prisoners are allowed to work outside. Why should they be allowed the "luxury " of working outside when they can be locked up inside?
Then there is the Tackling Violent Crime Act, whose center-piece is mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of "serious gun crimes" This was gutted by Ontario Superior Court Judge Anne Molloy, in the case of a young man sentenced to three years . He was making poses for a webcam, pretending to be a gangsta, waving a pistol. It was deemed to " cruel and unusual punishment". Three years for waving a gun in front of a webcam. No wonder, the Ref/Cons are building more jails, at a time when rates of violent crime is falling steadily since the 90s.
C-10 is nine laws cobbled together, which the government had tried to pass when they were in a minority. It is designed to tackle among other things, pedophiles and and organised crime, but it also include other provisions eg. possession of as few as six marijuana plants can be sentenced to six-months in prison. Minister Toews has also stated that where human life is at risk, CSIS can use information obtained by torture. This overturns years of Canadian policy and the findings of the Arar Inquiry. This is the same Toews whose most recent bill give unprecedented powers to police to obtain data without warrant and who accused critics of siding with "child pornographers".
There is a pattern here. The social agenda of the government is quite straightforward. They will censor what they don't like to see or read or hear. They will increase police powers even if goes against basic freedoms, allow warrantless search and seizure, demand from telecommunication companies any information they want, build a detailed profile of any and every one from the data obtained, impose mandatory minimum sentences, build more prisons for those criminalised by their new punitive laws and even use information obtained from torture.
It is time for Canadians to wake up from their torpor. Your freedoms are more and more threatened. Your society is being reshaped. Your values are being replaced and if you dare to complain and critize the government, you will be attacked as being "with them". Bullying and fearmongering have become the chief cudgels used to get you to cower and accept. Be afraid, be very afraid. Big Brother is real and he is here.
