Oil and terrorism…

      Feb 17, 2015

 Globe and Mail – Shawn McCarthy
‘Anti-petroleum’ movement a growing security threat to Canada, RCMP say

This article has an element of those “I told you so” moments.  The report, dated Jan 24, 2014, was acquired by Greenpeace and, says McCarthy, uses highly charged language reflecting the government’s hostility towards environmentalists.  Paul Camp, the BC Civil Liberties lawyer already pursuing a lawsuit against the federal government on environmental issues says:   “With respect to Bill C-51, I and other groups have real concerns it is going to target not just terrorists who are involved in criminal activity, but people who are protesting against different Canadian government policies.”  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/anti-petroleum-movement-a-growing-security-threat-to-canada-rcmp-say/article23019252/   Related article: Globe and Mail – Editorial (Feb 16, 2015)   CSIS is about to become more ‘kinetic.’ Bad idea    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/csis-is-about-to-become-more-kinetic-bad-idea/article22997008/

 CBC News – Kady O’Malley
Iraq mission costs could top $166M for 6 months: budget watchdog -Department of National Defence refused to turn over key info, resulting in ‘substantial uncertainty’

The day before the Parliamentary Budget Officer was to release an estimate of the cost of the war in Iraq, the newly appointed minister of Defence Jason Kenny released the figure of $122 million.  Both are calling the numbers the incremental costs to date but with a $40 million discrepancy.  The PBO report points out that in Liberia, the final real costs were six times the incremental costs and that their $166M estimates are without full disclosure from the DND.    http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/iraq-mission-costs-could-top-166m-for-6-months-budget-watchdog-1.2959789   Related article: Global News – Amy Minsky     Price tag for Iraq mission exceeds $120M in first six months: Kenney   http://globalnews.ca/news/1833263/price-tag-for-iraq-mission-exceeds-120m-in-first-six-months-kenney/

 Blogger Monia Mazigh
When Fear Triumphs over Rationality: Harper Anti-Terror Legislation

Author and Human Rights advocate, Mazigh uses the political machinations of the Harper government to illustrate how it is possible for fear to triumph over human rights.  She criticizes the use of jihadism and points out that all three cited cases of terrorist threat to date have been identified without the additional powers of C-51.  https://moniamazigh.wordpress.com/2015/02/16/when-fear-triumphs-over-rationality-harper-anti-terror-legislation/   Related article: Ottawa Citizen – Ian McLeod    Liberals, NDP treading softly over anti-terrorism bill  http://www.canada.com/News/politics/Liberals+treading+softly+over+anti+terrorism+bill/10816488/story.html

 Hamilton Spectator – Don Thompson
Sex offenders targeted as homicide rates in California prisons soar

Homicide rates inside California’s prisons are soaring and the target is often the sex offender.  Sex offenders are 15% of the inmate population but 30% of the homicide rate despite efforts by correctional staff.  There have been 23 sex offenders among the 78 inmates murdered, some within the general population, some within special housing units for vulnerable inmates.  http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5340863-sex-offenders-targeted-as-homicide-rates-in-california-prisons-soar/

 Hill Times-on-line – Abbas Rena
Trans Rights Bill to be amended in Senate, likely to die on Order Paper 

Bill C-279, An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (Gender Identity), is a private member’s bill that will likely die, again, on the order paper.  The bill, is “aimed to protect the transgender community from discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, would prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender identity or gender expression and it would amend the Criminal Code to include gender identity and gender expression as a recognized group when offences are motivated by bias, prejudice or hate.”  The bill passed the House in 2013 by a vote of 149-137 but will likely need to be re-introduced in the House.    http://www.hilltimes.com/news/news/2015/02/16/trans-rights-bill-to-be-amended-in-senate-likely-to-die-on-order-paper/41065

 Toronto Star – Editorial (Feb 17, 2015)
Ottawa just makes income inequality worse – Finance Minister Joe Oliver pays lip service to global push to stop income polarization, while his government makes it worse. 

The Star alleges that on an international stage Canada acknowledges that the wealth of the world is in the hands of a small few and that the income disparity is growing worse, just as the conclusion at Davos which offered a 14 point plan to reduce the inequality.  The Star lists some ways that the federal government has made its international agreement lip service within Canada.  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/02/17/ottawa-just-makes-income-inequality-worse-editorial.html