Jan 23, 2017
CBC News – Marketplace
Canadians appear to be more hateful online. Here’s what you can do about it – Marketplace report suggests hateful language by Canadians online up by 600 per cent over last year
The internet appears to offer Canadians a way of expressing otherwise inhibited comments on a number of socially and politically unacceptable terms. A report by media marketer Cision’s James Rubec is very pointed: “It might not be that there are more racists in Canada than there used to be, but they feel more emboldened. And maybe that’s because of the larger racist sentiments that are coming out of the United States.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-racism-online-tips-1.3943351
CBC News – Allison Crawford
Canadian police hit by major computer network outage – ‘It’s like flying blind,’ 1 frontline RCMP officer said about computer outage
It’s not the first time the police site Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) has been down. The service is provided through Shared Services Canada (SSC) and has had a dozen down periods since last spring. The failures implicate police and military alike. The CBC agreed not to the report the outage until the problem was corrected but no one seems able to assure what is causing the problems or that they are over. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-computer-offline-network-1.3942846
The Hill Times – Abbas Rana
New National Security Oversight committee likely to cost more than any other House or Senate security committees
We have arrived, almost. The new committee is called the National Security Committee Oversight of Parliamentarians or NSCOP. Canada is the last of the “Five Eyes” countries to introduce oversight by parliamentarians. The committee will have a special spying-proof room and a small staff with a budget of about $500,000. The move is part of the Liberal government’s election promises and a response to a clamor around Bill C-51. The committee will have seven MP’s (four Liberal, three opposition) and two senators and will report directly to the Prime Minister. Bill C-22 was introduced in June 2016 and it is not clear when it will be passed. The chair is the only known member of the committee to date, Liberal MP David McGuinty (Ottawa South). http://www.hilltimes.com/2017/01/23/special-national-security-intelligence-oversight-committee-likely-expensive-operational-costs-parliamentary-national-security-related-standing-committees-public-safety-docs/93232
Toronto Star – Emily Mathieu
Periods an extra hardship for homeless women
235,000 people a year wind up homeless on Canada’s streets and 27% are women. One specific gender related issue is dealing as a street person with monthly menstrual cycles. Service agencies try to meet the need – mostly without requiring clients to ask – but users say that tampons are less available than condoms and having to buy them may mean using bus fare or food money. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/01/23/periods-an-extra-hardship-for-homeless-women.html
Toronto Star – John Cotter
A first in Alberta, union says new deal includes right to domestic violence leave
The United Steelworkers who represent workers in long term care facilities has negotiated a first – the right to extended leave and guaranteed job return for those who are coping with domestic violence. The leave can be for legal, medical, and counselling services. Though the agreement is with only one facility at present, Rivercrest Care, the union says the clause is on the contract table for several others. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/01/22/a-first-in-alberta-union-says-new-deal-includes-right-to-domestic-violence-leave.html
Ottawa Citizen – Andrew Seymour
Convicted killer asks court to stay his manslaughter charge for delay
The case involves a man -Sam Tsega – convicted of manslaughter for his role in a killing of an Ottawa teen some six years ago. The ‘inside man’ is appealing his conviction on the grounds of delay in the trial, just after the Supreme Court has laid down time limits for the court process – 18 months for provinces and 30 months for Superior Court. Tsega was convicted nine days before the SCC decision but was not yet sentenced. Legal experts say the history of the case makes it exceptional. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/convicted-killer-asks-court-to-stay-his-manslaughter-charge-for-delay
Toronto Star – Jacques Gallant
Ontario failing to release reports of complaints against judges
What happens if someone makes a complaint against a judge in Ontario? The answer, according to a number of lawyers, is that the complaint gores the bottom of a pile of papers and reports and rarely gets any public attention. The result is a lack of transparency in knowing about the essential fairness of the system. Two groups, the Justices of the Peace Review Council (JPRC) and the Ontario Judicial Council (for provincial judges), have not filed annual reports which officials say must first be filed in the legislature by the Attorney General. Hearings against judges are public but few complaints ever become hearings. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/01/23/ontario-failing-to-release-reports-of-complaints-against-judges.html
MOMS (Ottawa) E-petition
Mothers Offering Mutual Support (MOMS) are trying to raise concerns about electronic ion detectors that are sending off a high number of false positive readings when families of inmates are trying to visit correctional facilities. They need 500 signatures and already have 491 to require that the petition be presented in the house. See the explanation and add your name to the petition. https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details…