Today, we examine a claim made about the G20 Summit in Toronto:
Yet as it turns out, it wasn't Prime Minister Harper who gave police the powers they abused at the G20 Summit. Rather, it was the Liberal provincial government of Dalton McGuinty.
The McGuinty government not only changed the Public Works Protection Act to arrest anyone in the vicinity of the G20 Security Zone, but they did it without even debating the matter in Queen's Park. In fact, they went to spectacular lengths to keep the changes secret.
The changes fortunately had a sunset clause built in -- they expired on June 28, 2010. The punchline is that they didn't publish the change in the Ontario Gazette until July 3, 2010.
Unbelievable.
It's actually rather remarkable: ShitHarperDid is campaigning against Stephen Harper on the basis of shit McGuinty did, all while promoting the Ontario Liberals' federal counterpart -- for whom McGuinty's brother David is a candidate -- as a "better option".
Just think about that.
But... but... but...
ReplyDeleteHarper's the one that brought it to Toronto. If not for him, McGinty wouldn't have HAD to give all those powers to the Police to abuse.
/sarc
Oh, of course! Didn't you know? Harper hates Toronto! That's why he brought so many world leaders there. :P
ReplyDeleteOK, let's just call them both jerks. After all, they are politicians :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, the only way to really get to the bottom of who did what to whom is to hold a Federal Public Inquiry with full subpoena power to compel testimony from everyone, including Office Bubbles.
I would be perfectly comfortable with the idea of a public inquiry if it weren't for the vendettas some people seemingly plan to use that inquiry for.
ReplyDeleteCase in point: what do you honestly expect to learn from compelling Officer Bubbles to testify other than finding out he has a shitty attitude? We already know that.
You know... I hate to say it because it just seems wrong to say... but contrary to what the NDP and Liberals are saying, WE DON'T NEED A PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO EVERYTHING.
ReplyDeleteESPECIALLY when those things don't actually involve the areas of jurisdiction of the federal government. We don't need an inquiry into how Helena is being mistreated by the Conservative Party. We didn't need an(other) inquiry into Mr. Mulroney. We don't need an inquiry into Afghanistan.
As much as the Opposition doesn't want to admit it, sometimes there are decisions that are made by the Government of Canada that should not be in the purview of Parliament or the Opposition. If you want the power to make those decisions, WIN or stage a coup.
As I recall, there was an inquiry into the APEC summit when the PMO ordered protesters removed. You may remember it well, it was the infamous pepper-spraying incident.
ReplyDeleteThere's precedent for a public inquiry, and I'm not opposed to it. What we need -- and what we have not really seen from the opposition -- is a clear scope of that inquiry. One that looks into the command structure, what orders were given, and does not just target specific officers who are the subject of some (quite justifiable) public rage.
This is one of the issues on which I disagree with Harper, because I think Harper himself should set the mandate of an inquiry, and let them do what ought to be done here.
That is a very different mandate than the one that folks like Mad Hatter are calling for, I think, but he can correct me if I've misunderstood him.