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Thursday, March 19th, 2015

Is Canada Turning into a Police State?

Author:     Joyce Nelson
Source:     Counter Punch
Publication Date:     March 16, 2015
 Link: Is Canada Turning into a Police State?
Stephan:   For most of its history many of us thought of Canada as a kind of Scandanavian country in North America. Tolerant, strong social safety net, environmentally sensitive. Unfortunately in the past decade, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the public image and the reality have diverged radically. Three Canadian readers sent me this story accompanied by emails expressing their outrage about what is happening to their country. I share their feelings but, as in the U.S., I have also been forced to confront the reality that people vote the politicians who are doing this into office. The truth is both the U.S. and Canada seem to be filled with hysterical, fearful, hate-filled voters who seem to lack the cognitive ability to distinguish their scary fantasies from actual facts. As a result of the choices made by these voters Fascism is once again an issue.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Credit: ipolitics.ca

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Credit: ipolitics.ca

Back in 2006, the newly elected Prime Minister of Canada, right-wing Conservative Stephen Harper warned that “You won’t recognize Canada when I’m through with it.” After nine grueling years, that’s already true in many ways. But now, Harper is going even further in his re-make of the country. Under new and pending legislation, Canada is moving rapidly towards the creation of a police state, with major curtailments of civil liberties. In recent weeks, the Harper Conservatives have introduced and/or passed several pieces of legislation that run roughshod over Canadians’ Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Constitutional rights, giving draconian powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

There’s Bill C-13, the highly unpopular online spying legislation, which received Royal Assent on Dec. 9, 2014. The Bill allows warrantless internet surveillance through the collection by CSIS of Canadians’ everyday internet use. The Bill contains broad new police powers, including several new warrants for surveillance, tracking and gathering of bank information. […]

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