Meanwhile in Canada, the Conservative government of Steven Harper is about to introduce new "anti-terrorism" measures on Friday. CBC reports
The expected new powers would allow CSIS (Canadian Security and Intelligence Service) agents to obtain court orders to:
- cancel plane or other travel reservations made by Canadians suspected of wanting to join the Islamic State or other extremists groups overseas;
- block any financial transactions linked to suspected terrorist activity;
- intercept shipments of Canadian-made equipment or material to Canadian individuals or groups that could be used in an attack;
- switch, or make suspect equipment being shipped unusable as part of an on-going investigation.
Under existing law, CSIS must rely on the RCMP (Canadian federal police force) to do these things, and government officials say that can lead to costly delays and, in some cases, an inability to act because the RCMP requires a higher standard of proof to arrest or detain suspects.
This seems to imply that if you affiliate yourself with the wrong people, via "online chatter", or curious download on Youtube, you will become suspect for CSIS and they will be able to disrupt your life, in secret.
"The goal is for CSIS to move from an intelligence-gathering service to an agency that will have the power to disrupt or diminish potential terrorist threats under appropriate judicial oversight,'' a source told CBC News.
Even more importantly, this increased spy agency powers is just one of the changes. Other changes include removal of privacy protections for much data currently governed by the Privacy Act. This will allow private information submitted to different agencies of the government to be legally compiled into a dossier on everyone.
Expanding the mandate given CSIS is just one of many changes expected in the massive bill, which will have five distinct sections, to be tabled in the Commons on Friday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will hold a news conference to discuss the measures later in the day.
Full details are not known until the Bill is tabled on Friday. Needless to say, since Conservatives have a majority, this Bill is very likely to become law. For the sake of our children, of course.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by quacking duck on Friday January 30 2015, @11:01PM
Thankfully Canada will finally have a federal election this October and it is very unlikely the Conservatives will be able to maintain their majority. Hopefully voters, including thousands of shafted veterans ("the federal government has no moral obligation to veterans"), will vote smart and demote them to opposition status, then we'll finally be able to take back our country and start repairing the damage Harper's done.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Snow on Friday January 30 2015, @11:05PM
We can only hope... Harper is sure doing his best to turn our country into a police state.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by davester666 on Saturday January 31 2015, @08:53AM
Just like in the USA, there is nobody you can vote for, who will actually get into power, and who will not advance us further along into being a complete police state.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Friday January 30 2015, @11:10PM
> take back our country and start repairing the damage Harper's done.
That's what many thought when they voted for Obama, against Sarkozy and Berlusconi, or to push Blair aside... (not even counting the post-dictator success rate in the middle-east)
Let's hope the Canadians can do better...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by quacking duck on Saturday January 31 2015, @02:25AM
As with the US Democrats replacing the Republicans in '08, it almost doesn't matter if Harper's successor can't undo all or even most of the damage (it's easier to destroy than build/rebuild), at least Harper would no longer be in charge to do further damage.
You have to pull out the knife and stem the bleeding before the wound can start to heal.
There's the popular notion that politicians of all stripes are no better than the other, but with Harper this is objectively wrong. Neither the Liberals or the NDP would *ever* have gone on the dogmatic, ideological slashing spree that gutted our science, environmental protections, or statistics capabilities, nor callously destroyed over a century's worth of historical documents... and if the Conservatives' attitude toward veterans injured in combat (physical or psychological, young and old) is their idea of "supporting the military" then the left has to dig real deep before they can ever again be accused of not supporting veterans and the military.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by dx3bydt3 on Friday January 30 2015, @11:13PM
I despair for the future of Canada with our meek tyrant at the helm. It wouldn't surprise me if the definition of "linked to suspected terrorist activity" will soon include being on a list of left leaning voters.
Unless the left finds a way to unite I fear we're stuck with Harper indefinitely, while he slowly destroys the things that make Canada great.
CSIS: please disregard the previous sentences, what I meant to say was "ALL HAIL EMPEROR HARPER! LONG MAY HE REIGN!"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 30 2015, @11:48PM
Heil Harper!
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Saturday January 31 2015, @09:54AM
To late. You are on the no-fly list, you terrorist.
Sincerely yours,
Stephen Harper
(Score: 4, Insightful) by bob_super on Friday January 30 2015, @11:27PM
> Under existing law, CSIS must rely on the RCMP (Canadian federal police force) to do these things,
> and government officials say that can lead to costly delays and, in some cases, an inability to act
> because the RCMP requires a higher standard of proof to arrest or detain suspects.
I'd take the current law anyday over empowering Jack Bauer wannabees...
The terrorist threat is oveblown, Canada isn't exactly a prime target, and the odds that CSIS actually encounters such an emergency as to need the extra powers are lower than most lotteries. Go ahead and keep making Osama smile with the fishes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 31 2015, @01:53AM
ISIS, CSIS? Who can keep up on all the acronyms? And they act on suspicion, or a link to a suspicion? Gentlemen, we have found a witch! When did Dudley Dowright become Harper Dowrong?
(Score: 1) by RedGreen on Saturday January 31 2015, @03:20AM
Nothing new the police in my country Canada have been doing this forever and a day at least back to the early days of this country starting with the Louis Riel debacle onto the early labour movement then the communists on to people like Tommy Douglas the father of Medicare in this country the list goes on and on. The only difference now is they are actually showing their true colours by opening admitting and put into the laws what they have always done.
"I modded down, down, down, and the flames went higher." -- Sven Olsen
(Score: 1) by RedGreen on Saturday January 31 2015, @03:23AM
opening/openly
"I modded down, down, down, and the flames went higher." -- Sven Olsen
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 31 2015, @09:30AM
so the canadian spy agency has finally caught up with what other spy agencies all around the world have been doing for decades?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday February 01 2015, @03:17AM
By enabling an organization the legal mandate to fuck up other peoples live in secret they have ensured they can always be blamed and have no benefit of the doubt. Because the law says so in writing.