June 18, 2017

National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) Press Release

Preclearance agreement trumps protection of travelers from Canada to U.S.

Yesterday’s communiqué noted several House of Commons bills anticipated before the summer close.  This release speaks to the potential for conflict when Canadian citizens are crossing the border using pre-clearance, current in several larger airports but destined for more and for rail crossings as well.  What is pointedly at issue is the right of the US officers to search electronic devices.  Bill C-23 or The Preclearance Act, 2016, “will allow U.S. officers to strip search a traveler, even if a Canadian agent declines to do so; allow U.S. officers to carry firearms; and remove the ability of travelers to withdraw from preclearance areas without further interrogation.”  http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1114179096563&ca=f48f8abf-e6c8-45df-a702-2c36e9c1bbb7   Related article: National Post: Marie-Danielle Smith   Canada-U.S. preclearance bill finally moves ahead, but privacy concerns mount over Trump’s ‘extreme vetting’  http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/politics/canada-u-s-preclearance-bill-finally-moves-ahead-but-privacy-concerns-mount-over-trumps-extreme-vetting

CBC News – Kathleen Harris

Supreme Court throws out drug case, upholding accused dealer’s right to a timely trial – Justices don’t waver from principles of controversial Jordan decision that set hard targets for court delays

Contrary to some voiced criticism that the Supreme Court of Canada set the R vs Jordan ruling without adequate analysis of its impact on future cases, the court has reinforced its demand that trails be speedy and fair to the accused in a 7-0 ruling.  In this case, James Cody, was arrested in 2010 and charged with trafficking drugs.    “The Crown, the defence and the system each contributed to that delay. This leads us to stress, as the court did in Jordan, that every actor in the justice system has a responsibility to ensure that criminal proceedings are carried out in a manner that is consistent with an accused person’s right to a trial within a reasonable time.”   http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-cody-delays-1.4159897  Related article: Toronto Star – Tonda MacCharles   Supreme Court stands by its controversial ruling to ensure timely trials   https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/06/16/supreme-court-stands-by-its-controversial-ruling-to-ensure-timely-criminal-trials.html

Policy Options – Alexander Dirksen

To sustain momentum around the reconciliation movement, the dialogue needs to shift to concrete actions at the community level.

Dirksen looks at the progress of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations and suggests that community events are the best way to make further and significant progress, in the face of several significant failures and missed opportunities by the Federal Government to address the issues.  “…perhaps most tragically demonstrated by the case of child welfare funding – despite the announcement last year of an additional $382 million of funding over 3 years, Indigenous Affairs and the Ministry of Health reported in February that by January only $11.4 million (10% of the amount earmarked for the fiscal period ending in March) had been spent.”  http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/june-2017/reconcilation-beyond-incremental-change/

Abacus – Bruce Anderson and David Coletto

Newspapers in Peril?…Canadians Unworried

There has been on-going conversation and petitions to government to intervene in the deepening crisis for newspapers.  What is really at issue is the source of the news to which the average person is exposed.  But only 14% of Canadians feel that they would have no alternative source of news without the newspaper, a stat that suggests the crisis is already here and well-illustrated by the reliability and truthfulness issues abounding in unverified electronic sources.  Here’s a look at what Canadians think about newspapers.  http://abacusdata.ca/newspapers-in-peril-canadians-unworried/

Huntington Post – Can-Do Foundation – Amy Povah

Reflections about Father’s Day from Men in Prison

Here is a different sort of Father’s Day greeting.  They are from men in prison serving a life sentence for drug related offences.  Their stories  frequently raise issue with the harshness of sentencing for drug offences and the racial and already vulnerable population targeted.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/59461ff5e4b024b7e0df4ced   The Can-Do Foundation:  Top 25 men deserving clemency   http://www.candoclemency.com/men-deserving-clemency/   Related article: I am more than my Criminal Record: I am a dad   https://iammorethanmycriminalrecord.com/portfolio/i-am-a-dad/

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