vic toews – David Akin’s On The Hill

A polarizing politician, Vic Toews leaves public life

To those looking for reasons to dislike Stephen Harper and his Conservative government, Vic Toews was the likely poster boy. As Minister of Justice and as Minister of Public Safety, Toews was on the front lines of the Harper government’s mission to “get tough on crime” and to demonize political opponents who refused to get behind the Conservative agenda. He was the sharp end of the Conservative spear. Conservatives generally enjoyed his “take no prisoners” approach to both politics and, er, prisoners. Sometimes he went to far. Still, within the party, partisans looked past any excess and it was quite clear that Toews was a popular figure. Continue reading A polarizing politician, Vic Toews leaves public life

Speaker Scheer on Anonymous: "a subversive attack on the most fundamental privileges of this House"

Just about no one liked Bill C-30, An Act to enact the Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act and to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts tabled in the House of Commons by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. I was one of what seemed like a unanimous chorus of pundits who thought C-30 a bad idea. But some opponents of this bill inappropriately and shamefully thought the best way express their opposition was to personally shame Toews and to threaten his personal safety. Continue reading Speaker Scheer on Anonymous: "a subversive attack on the most fundamental privileges of this House"

Warrant-less wiretaps: What Toews says and what C-30 says

In the House of Commons Monday, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said this, in response to allegations that his about-to-tabled legislation, would allow police to obtain information about the online activities of Canadians without a warrant:

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that any outrageous claims that private communications will be intercepted without a warrant is a complete fabrication. Continue reading Warrant-less wiretaps: What Toews says and what C-30 says

Quebec says it will sue to maintain gun data

Game on over the gun registry…

Quebec wants to set up its own registry, but says the federal data is crucial because creating a registry from scratch would cost a fortune.

“I find it unjust and unfair … that the data will be destroyed without first offering the Quebec government the possibility of recuperating it,” Dutil told a news conference.

[Read the full story at: Quebec says it will sue to maintain gun data | Canada | News | Ottawa Sun.]