Government should be careful in using cellphone data to track COVID-19, advocates say
Privacy experts and the Conservatives are warning the federal government that if it follows the lead of other countries and begins using cellphone location data to track the spread of COVID-19, it should do so under strict limits and safeguards for Canadians’ privacy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said on March 24 the federal […]
A call for humility in national security ‘expertise’
OTTAWA—‘Experts’ can help Canadians understand national security and public safety threats, but only if they are truly knowledgeable. One thing I have tried to be consistent in since my retirement from a 32-year career in national security in this country is an honest assessment of what I know and what I can contribute to the […]
Reconciliation is wearing Eau de Colonialism 2020
OTTAWA—Do you hear that? It’s the sound of reconciliation buckling under the oppressive weight of white supremacy. Ostensibly, Canada was founded on the principles of “peace, order, and good government,” and apart from missing the necessary aspirational quality expected in the birth of a nation, the list of principles is missing one defining feature: white […]
Rail blockades showing markers for genesis of domestic armed conflict
The blockades in Canada are a microcosmic case of what leads to domestic armed conflicts. It starts with legitimate or disproportionate recriminations of groups against state entities. The groups then increase the disruptive pressures affecting third parties who cannot act, are not interested, or are not responsible for responding to their complaints. Thereafter, only time […]
Same staff, new office: a look at federal Public Safety Minister Blair’s team
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair has brought a number of staff from his old office as border security minister to his new team, including director of parliamentary affairs Jordan Crosby and director of operations Radey Barrack. Mr. Crosby started out as an issues manager to Mr. Blair when he was border security […]
Parole officers still floundering from Harper budget cuts, says union head supporting Tory parole board motion
The head of the union representing federal safety and justice workers says he supports a Conservative opposition motion to conduct hearings into the Parole Board of Canada decision that led to the alleged murder of 22-year-old Marylène Lévesque last month by a man out on day parole. And although he says he applauds the Liberal government’s […]
Let’s see if a new GOC ‘terrorism prosecution unit’ gets it right
OTTAWA—Terrorism is a hard crime to prosecute. The things that terrorists do are not so difficult: murder or attempted murder is relatively straightforward one would think. Either you killed, or tried to kill someone, or you did not. Simple, right? On the other hand, proving the reasons why you chose to kill or try to […]
Leave politics out of decision about Huawei’s 5G future in Canada
For some time, I have noticed that Huawei’s 5G has been a hot topic of discussion in Canadian media recently. There are different opinions across Canada about whether Huawei should be allowed to participate in Canada’s 5G network construction or not. In my opinion, 5G development, utilization, and co-operation should not be politicized. Huawei is […]
We really need to stop debating whether far right or Islamist extremists are more dangerous: both need to be monitored
OTTAWA—When it comes to the discussion on terrorism in Canada, we are in a very fortunate position. Our country is blessedly very rarely beset with violent extremism. Nevertheless, the threat is not zero and hence we need to dedicate some level of resources to detecting terrorists and terrorists’ plots in order to prevent death and […]
Legislative preview: Grits face tricky landscape with dozens of legal changes promised in mandate letters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given his cabinet ministers dozens of objectives that will likely require changes to federal laws, setting up an ambitious legislative agenda for his first foray through a minority Parliament. Mr. Trudeau’s (Papineau, Que.) Liberals managed to pass 88 bills during four years of majority government in the last Parliament. Some […]
