Stephen Blaney has confirmed that the government will table a bill next week to enhance CSIS’ powers to better combat terrorism, in order to enhance cooperation with our Five Eyes allies, and to enhance the anonymity for CSIS informants. Never mind that the Supreme Court ruled that those sources already have adequate protections, and the fact that the lawyer for Mohamed Harkat warns that the inability to cross-examine this kind of testimony is dangerous. Former Privacy Commissioner Chantal Bernier also warns that rushing into these kinds of changes could have longer-term human rights consequences. But terrorists!
A day after Thomas Mulcair appeared on CTV’s The Social to ostensibly extol the virtues of his childcare proposal, while talking about how much he loves his wife and how she won’t let him wear socks with sandals, Justin Trudeau appeared in the pages of Chatelaine, for which people howled about how terrible it was that he was appearing in a puff piece – err, that he didn’t write, and that he seems to be the target of an outrage that would more properly be levelled at the editors of the magazine. (And if anyone says he’s selectively appearing in media outlets who go easy on him, they seem to forget that he’s one of the most accessible political leaders to journalists covering him).
Emmett Macfarlane recaps the arguments made at the Supreme Court around the assisted suicide case, and points out where the Justices were not buying the arguments in favour of a blanket ban, and figures it likely that they will strike it down in one way or another.
Maclean’s has a look at our Ebola preparedness in Canada. Meanwhile, there are questions as to why the overwhelmed Médecins Sans Frontièrs is in charge of the response in Africa.
The military ombudsman’s forthcoming report shows that as many as one third of soldiers are afraid to seek help for mental illness because they’re afraid it will mean being cashiered out of the service. This does seem to be setting up for worse problems in the Forces in the longer term.
The Lobbying Commissioner is proposing a new federal code of conduct for lobbyists, which would offer clearer guidelines and some consequences for breaking them.
The postal union is launching a Charter challenge in Federal Court to save door-to-door mail delivery.
A small charitable bird-watching group has been cautioned by the CRA about some potential political activity, which has more people decrying advocacy chill, but no one is coming out and alleging that CRA is taking political direction.
Paul Wells gives a good reading of the motivations – and suspicions – behind the Conservatives’ plans to change copyright laws around using news content in political advertising.
One year out from the planned next federal election, and none of the parties have yet nominated even half of their candidates. Because it’s not like they haven’t got any time left to do so. Oh, wait…
Chris Alexander hosted a chat over the Twitter Machine yesterday, which resulted in exchanges like this.
https://twitter.com/sladurantaye/status/522808556471713793
Liberal Senator Terry Mercer is recovering from a brain haemorrhage (note: not a stroke or aneurysm), and they’re not sure how long until he can return to work.
And Irwin Cotler thinks that Parliament needs a “speak no evil day” in order to keep everyone from sniping at one another for one day, in the hopes of raising the tone.
Up today: Michael Sona is to be sentenced for his part in the Guelph robocalls. He could be the first person to face jail time for an elections-related offence.