If Glenn Greenwald isn’t given a Pulitzer Prize for helping the Guardian uncover the biggest surveillance program in the world and expose the NSA and […]
Author: David DesBaillets
Feds thumb nose at Quebec demand for gun data
Does anyone remember the concept of “open federalism?” That was the anti-centralist concept of Canada espoused by the Reform party back in the early 90’s that said the role of the feds should be limited to those areas that the provincial government either can’t or won’t do themselves.
Parti Québecois on constitutional thin ice
If there is one thing about this election that scares the shit of me—and should scare you as well—it’s the shocking declaration of the self-proclaimed savior of the increasingly-ugly PQ, Jean Francois Lisée.
Britain’s threats against Assange are a violation of international law
Assange may be a hero or villain (I lean towards the former) to millions of people and internet users all over the world for establishing Wikileaks and exposing the hypocricy of governments’ (especially the U.S.’s) foreign policies, but, and it must be said, his decision to seek asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, was not his finest moment.
Oda’s career epitomised Harper government’s lack of accountability
It does seem like Oda was never really on top of her files or fully in control of her own ministry. Then again, apart from a handful of ministers, none of these “servants of the crown” seems to be able to escape the tight leash Harper has imposed on them. They would do well to remember that the term “responsible government” in Canada means that they are accountable to the Parliament and not to the Prime Minister
South Africa’s transition to democracy could have served as a model for Egypt
There’s reason to believe that the fledgling democracy in the largest Arabic country in the world is in grave peril. Sadly, more than a year after the Egyptian people rose up in revolt and overthrew the kleptocratic regime of Hosni Mubarak, in a relatively peaceful revolution, the remnants of the old deeply corrupt establishment are coming back to haunt them… Why the architects of the revolution didn’t look to the South African model for making the transition democracy with a strong set of checks and balances, is beyond me
Khawaja case to put Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Act on trial at Supreme Court
This definition of terrorist activity may not necessarily be a recipe for abuse of power or a threat to our most cherished basic freedoms. However, in the hands of this unscrupulous federal government, these powers will almost certainly result in the undermining of human rights in Canada, sooner or later
Charbonneau Commission begins inquiry without participation of the Liberal Party of Quebec
When the Charbonneau commission opens this week dozens of witnesses will testify and be cross examined by representatives from groups as diverse as Hydro Québec to hard core provincial lefties Québec Solidaire. The only oddity with the proceedings will be the conspicuous absence of a single representative from Liberal Party of Quebec. This is rather like having the O.J. Simpson trial without ‘The Juice’ (as he’s sometimes called), testifying before the court. After all, the whole purpose of this inquiry is to establish whether there is any connection between the awarding of juicy pork barrel government construction contracts (corruption never tasted so good!) and the financing of political parties in Quebec…
Bill 78 Denounced as ‘police state stuff’ by McGill professor
In the opening line of his analysis of bill 78, professor Jacob T Levy ( McGill University, political theory professor), makes a puzzling statement about this extreme measure. “Special law is every bit the contradiction in terms that ‘student strike’ is. Emergency decrees and bills of attainder aren’t laws, and I won’t be referring to Bill 78 as a law except in scare quotes.”
Montreal artist Rémy Couture’s trial set to pit artistic freedom against state censorship
How to describe the bizarre case of local artist Rémy Couture? Some in the media seem to have coined a new and disturbing term for it: art crime (also the title of a sympathetic documentary on the subject). You see, arguably, Coutures only ‘crime’ is that he is pushing the boundaries of good taste with his horrific images of women being dismembered and people being crucified…