June 12, 2016
National Newswatch – Don Lenihan
Policymaking as a movement: Is the public service ready for Trudeau?
Lenihan recalls the discovery of how the various silos of government were linked when the digital revolution offered the possibility of analysis of the impact of one program or government department on another, often revealing an intriguing and complex set of relationships. Lenihan suggests that the change in policymaking to a more collabourative model, inviting meaningful participation of citizens, is tantamount to changing from traditional policy making to a policy movement. Local development as a movement such as when Ontario asks each community to design its own public safety policy effectively puts these movements outside the control of government and thereby calls for a different skill set than previous policy making. http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2016/06/10/policymaking-as-a-movement-is-the-public-service-ready-for-trudeau/ Related article: Canada.com – Marie-Danielle Smith Consultations, consultations, consultations: The Liberal government wants to hear from you this summer http://www.canada.com/news/national/consultations+consultations+consultations+liberal+government/11978400/story.html
CBC News –
RCMP can spy on your cellphone, court records reveal – There’s ‘no regulation or oversight’ as to how police use Stingray device, says privacy advocate
The Stingray device, even when targeted to a specific cellphone, can pick up everything in its range. Court cases reveal its use by RCMP and critics are suggesting that the device is used by police services across the country who have consistently refused to say whether the Stingrays are in use. The device mimics a cell phone tower and allows police access to any cell phone in the area. Court cases have also revealed that Blackberry has given access through its global encryption key to the RCMP allowing police surveillance, though Blackberry insists it has not given the actual key. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/rcmp-blackberry-hack-montreal-mob- murder-pub-ban-lifted-1.3629222 Related article: Globe and Mail – Tu Thanh Ha and Les Perreaux Murder and rivalry: The intercepted BlackBerry messages of the mob http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/murder-and-rivalry-the-intercepted-blackberry-messages-of-the-montrealmafia/article30393061/
Toronto Star – Jacques Gallant
Mother bankrupt, heartbroken after fight for police accountability in son’s death
Ruth Schaeffer’s son Levi, a schizophrenic, was killed in 2009 by police in a remote camping site in Ontario. Schaeffer was informed via media that there would be no charges against either of the two OPP officers involved and that the two officers had consulted lawyers and compared their notebooks prior to speaking to the SIU. Schaeffer pursued the lack of information on how her son died all the way to the Supreme Court that ruled in a landmark 2013 decision that officers under investigation could not speak with a lawyer before writing their notes. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/12/mother-bankrupt-heartbroken-after-fight-for-police-accountability-in-sons-death.html Related article: Toronto Star – Wendy Gillis and Jacques Gallant No discipline for officer who tried to download Loku video https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/11/no-discipline-for-officer-who-tried-to-download-loku-video.html
Globe and Mail – Peter McKnight
Why keeping de Grood out of prison is good for public safety
DeGroot has been found guilty of stabbing to death five youthful companions and McKnight is a professor of criminology at SFU. The verdict found De Grood not criminally responsible (NCR). McKnight is of the opinion that the verdict was good for De Grood and for public safety and he explains in face of widespread public outcry that a NCR verdict is anything but “a get out of jail free card that renders the accused free to do it all over again.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/why-keeping-de-grood-out-of-prison-is-good-for-public-safety/article30391379/ Related article: Globe and Mail – Joe Friesen and Patrick White Solitary confinement used most in Manitoba jails http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/manitoba-not-following-ontario-saskatchewan-in-solitary-confinement-review/article30387292/
Globe and Mail – Tavia Grant
Executive director of UN Women speaks about Canada’s priorities
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is the director of UN Women and during a three day visit to Canada was asked by Grant what Canada’s priorities for development of women issues in Canada should be. Mlambo-Ngcuka says Indigenous women and adds opinions on a wide variety of other issues such as Syrian refugees, women’s role in economic development and their presence on boards, gender equality, the role of men and boys in these pursuits. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/executive-director-of-un-women-speaks-about-canadas-priorities/article30406234/
Ottawa Citizen – Megan Gillis
New details on jail birth in nurse’s discipline decision
Julie Bilotta was pregnant and about to give birth in the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre in 2012, already identified as a high risk pregnancy. The guards said that her repeated calls for hospitalized Bilotta was faking it and the only nurse on duty had no experience in birthing care and only Tylenol as medication. The child was born in jail and had respiratory problems, dying a year later. Bilotta has a $1.3 million lawsuit against the nurse and the correction officers for negligence. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/new-details-on-jail-birth-in-nurses-discipline-decision
Ottawa Citizen – Kay O’Malley
Don’t panic: This is how the Senate is supposed to work
O’Malley is not panicking over the changes in Bill C-14 by the senate. She says the changes simply show the senate doing what it is supposed to do. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/kady-dont-panic-this-is-how-the-senate-is-supposed-to-work