Will we be safer?

By Michael Friscolanti - Monday, December 13, 2010 at 10:00 AM - 9 Comments

Tillman’s name would have been registered under the new rules despite the fact that the prosecutor didn’t ask for a registration order | Troy Fleece/CP

Eighteen months ago, the federal government promised to finally fix Canada’s dysfunctional sex-offender registry. At the heart of the proposed legislation was a “mandatory inclusion” rule, ensuring that every person guilty of a sex crime actually ends up on the database. No exceptions. No excuses.

But eighteen months later, as Bill S-2 slowly works its way through Parliament, the status quo stands in the courts: a prosecutor must still ask a judge to add a rapist or pedophile to the registry—and some judges are still refusing. Like in the case of J.W., a Nova Scotia man sentenced to 15 months probation for pinning his girlfriend against a wall and tearing off her clothes. The Crown wanted him registered, but J.W. told the court he was planning to enlist in the military after serving his sentence, and that checking in with police on a regular basis would be tricky.

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Deep thoughts

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 2:00 PM - 23 Comments

On Monday, several Conservative MPs were reported to be less-than-completely scornful when three former convicts appeared before the public safety committee to express concerns about the government’s recent moves to restrict pardons.

Nonetheless, so it was yesterday that a government backbencher, Phil McColeman, was sent up to report that the Liberal public safety critic had, at that committee meeting, been “quick to advocate on behalf of convicted criminals.”

And so it was that the Liberal critic, Mark Holland, stood after Question Period to complain that this was untrue.

And so it was that Mr. McColeman, the duly elected member for Brant, responded as follows. Continue…

Connecting the dots

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 3:23 PM - 45 Comments

To recap, Stockwell Day is a winner, moving from International Trade to President of the Treasury Board to handle the difficult task of enforcing fiscal discipline on government operations. Peter Van Loan is a loser, demoted from Public Safety to International Trade because the Prime Minister was dissatisfied with his performance, even though Day’s move from Public Safety to International Trade a little over a year ago was seen as an important promotion to a pivotal file. Meanwhile, Vic Toews, who seemingly couldn’t be trusted to oversee the difficult task of enforcing fiscal discipline on government operations, moves from Treasury Board to Public Safety, where he will be charged with a massive review of national security.

The Commons: Swallow this impressive-sounding number and call your doctor in the morning

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 6:46 PM - 90 Comments

The Scene. The Prime Minister’s chair, as an inanimate object, was unlikely to answer. But Michael Ignatieff insisted on asking anyway.

“Mr. Speaker, today we learn from the Auditor General that, for its entire time in office, the government has failed to develop any national emergency preparedness plan. That includes planning for epidemics and pandemics like H1N1. Does that not begin to explain why the government’s response to this crisis has been so slow and confused?” he wondered aloud. ”We have heard from the Minister of Health. When will we begin to hear from the Prime Minister? When will he stand up, take responsibility for the government’s mistakes and correct the situation?”

The Prime Minister was otherwise engaged with escorting the Prince and Camilla around rural Newfoundland. John Baird, Mr. Harper’s de facto deputy, was away as well, while the Health Minister was in Vancouver. No worries though, because this seemed to be a question about emergency preparedness and that is distinctly the purview of the Public Safety Minister and that minister, the typically unshy Peter Van Loan, was most certainly in his seat.

And yet, here came Tony Clement, the Minister of Industry and master flailler of arms.

“Mr. Speaker, let me dwell in the realm of facts,” Mr. Clement boldly offered. “The fact of the matter is that there have been six million doses of H1N1 vaccine that have already been delivered to the provinces and territories.

“That’s what you said yesterday!” lamented a Liberal.

“We currently have more H1N1 vaccine per capita than any other country in the world,” Mr. Clement reviewed. “The vaccine is being distributed as quickly as it is being produced and there will be sufficient H1N1 vaccine available in Canada for everyone who in fact needs or wants to be immunized.”

“Merry Christmas!” chirped a Liberal, yesterday’s points and counterpoints now sufficiently covered. Continue…

A failure to plan, etc.

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 3:48 PM - 5 Comments

Peter Van Loan, March 2. “Preparing for an emergency is a responsibility we all share … Having a plan and an emergency kit to cope with the first 72 hours of an emergency can make a world of difference in keeping a family safe and comfortable, and helps first responders to focus their resources on those in urgent need.”

Canwest, today. The federal department charged with disaster planning is itself a disaster when it comes to preparing for emergencies as varied as the swine flu pandemic, floods and terrorist attacks, says Auditor General Sheila Fraser. ”We found that Public Safety Canada has not exercised the leadership necessary to co-ordinate emergency management activities,” Fraser concluded in her latest report, tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And committee meetings.

By kadyomalley - Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:28 AM - 13 Comments

So, how’s that balance between national security and civil liberty working out? Tune in later this morning to find out as the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security gets started with its review of the findings and recommendations of the Iacobucci and O’Connor reports.

On the witness list for today: RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner Paul Kennedy and senior officials from the somewhat shadowy but determinedly non-sinister Security Intelligence Review Committee..

8:33:39 AM
Greetings from deepest darkest West Block, where detritus from last night’s afterhours revelry – the legendary All Party Party, hosted by NDP MP and all-round good time Peter Stoffer – still litters the halls. This morning, however, it’s back to business as usual – the most serious business for this particular committee, in fact.

Speaking of which, the witnesses are already starting to filter in with their respective retinues; the RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner, Paul Kennedy, is already at the table, and the nameplates are primed and ready for the other two invitees, Susan Pollak, Sylvie Roussel and Steve Bittle, the latter of which is, I believe, with SIRC, which is probably why he looked vaguely, reflexively uncomfortable as I was hovering over him, craning my neck to be sure of the spelling of his name. (Insert standard complaint about the lousy viewing angle we get at the media table, although at least we *have* a table today, so I’d best be grateful.)

Also, there are muffins! We never get those in Centre Block. Maybe it’s a turf thing.

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What to get the ex-couple who has everything: His 'n' hers orders to compel

By kadyomalley - Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 2:58 PM - 0 Comments

At least now Julie Couillard’s lawyer can’t complain that she’s being treated any differently than her ex-minister ex-boyfriend:

Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
Notice of Motion from Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh

That the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security report to the House that the Member for Beauce refuses to testify before the Committee on matters relating to national security, and that
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ITQ Committee Update Update: No such thing as a free Lynch

By kadyomalley - Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 12:00 PM - 0 Comments

.. schedule-wise, that is.
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Why do I feel like I've posted this before?

By kadyomalley - Monday, June 16, 2008 at 5:38 PM - 0 Comments

I swear, before this minority parliament came into being, I went years without ever having to look up the process for subpoenaing witnesses for any reason other than to feed my own geeky amusement. Now it seems to come up every few months, and not in a purely theoretical sense, either:

Anyway, here’s the Standing Order that gives committees the power to “send for persons, papers and records”:
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" … Parliamentarians should have the grace to let justice calmly and effectively follow its course."

By kadyomalley - Monday, June 16, 2008 at 4:05 PM - 0 Comments

Letter from Jean-C. Hébert, counsel to Julie Couillard, to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (emphasis added):

Dear Mr. Préfontaine:

I regret to inform you that Ms. Julie Couillard chooses to decline the invitation to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on June 18, 2008, for one hour and fifteen minutes. My client chooses to decline this invitation for a number of reasons.

*Background
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Bernier Affair: The Lady Vanishes (or, at the very least, fails to materialize)

By kadyomalley - Monday, June 16, 2008 at 3:20 PM - 0 Comments

Well, well, well: Following in the footsteps of certain former prime ministers, Ms. Couillard has reportedly, through her lawyer, declined an invitation to testify before the Public Safety committee later this week. Or so the rumour goes …
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ITQ Committee Roundup – It's not over til the femme fatale testifies …

By kadyomalley - Monday, June 16, 2008 at 2:04 PM - 0 Comments

… which is why ITQ will be hanging around in the hallway outside the Public Safety committee room, as its members meet behind closed doors later this afternoon to discuss the latest twists and turns in their ongoing investigation into the Bernier/Couillard Affair. During the first day of hearings last week, two senior RCMP officials – Bob Paulson and Raf Souccar -refused to tell the committee whether or not the Mounties had informed the Privy Council Office- that the then-Foreign Affairs Minister’s special friend was, as they say, “known to police.”
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