harper
A warning to Canada from inside the "Tough On Crime" US prison system
In lieu of the imminent passage of Bill C-10, the crime bill with mandatory minimums for all drug offenses involving manufacture and distribution – which the Harper Conservatives are set to pass in the Canadian Parliament – it is reflective to consider how the US criminal justice system has gotten completely out of control with these mandatory minimum sentences.
Once mandatory minimums are put in any criminal justice regime, they almost never get repealed despite the disastrous effect on the public safety, the treasuries of the state and federal government, and the cruelty that punishes victims and their families.
Read more »Mayors Endorsing Legalization, and Activists Protesting the Prime Minister
Dearest Miss: This was such a good week! You were magnificent in capturing the zeitgeist of the current politics affecting Canadians. In the last two weeks alone you've been quoted in newspapers, appeared on TV in Vancouver, were interviewed on Toronto and Vancouver radio, did a London, England podcast and the Free Talk Live radio broadcast (talking about your upcoming appearance at the prestigious New Hampshire Liberty Forum on February 23-26), and confirmed a Sun TV news appearance for Monday, and a radio interview in your hometown Kamloops Thursday. Read more »
video:
Academics slam suspension of Parliament
MP Tony Clement says criticism from 'elites' doesn't reflect Canadians' viewsCBC News
A group of university professors is condemning the federal government's decision to suspend Parliament, but the ruling Conservatives appear unmoved by the latest criticism.
Over 100 professors have signed a letter written by University of Montreal philosophy Prof. Daniel Weinstock that accuses Prime Minister Stephen Harper of violating "the trust of the Canadian people [and] thus acting anti-democratically."
The letter, to be sent to major newspapers in Eastern Canada, is the latest criticism of Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament until March 3.
In proroguing Parliament, Harper accused of undermining democracy
By Andrew Mayeda, Canwest News ServiceOTTAWA — Last October, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson took the podium at the national press theatre in Ottawa and declared that, with the introduction of new legislation by the Conservative government, serial killers such as Robert Pickton and Clifford Olson would no longer get "volume discounts" on their parole terms.
The bill would have given judges the power to slap consecutive periods of parole ineligibility on multiple murderers. A murderer who killed four people, for example, would likely be ineligible for parole for 100 years, instead of the current standard of 25 years.
Read more »UPDATED - ProrogueWatch: PMO Talking Points Explain It All!
By Kady O'Malley, CBC.caHot off the Langevin listserv, it's a message from our ever-chipper robot friend, Alerte-Info-Alert! Today's message provides Conservative MPs and supporters with a thoughtful, logical explanation for today's snap prorogation.
Oh wait, sorry -- no, it doesn't. It explains why prorogation is necessary -- even routine! -- but not why it had to happen now, instead of closer to the date that Parliament was expected to return. It also doesn't use the word 'prorogation':
Read more »The Hill: Harper challenged as silence of the jurists ends
By: Richard Cleroux, Law TimesWatch out, Stephen Harper. Judges have started fighting back. For the past four years, the prime minister and his government have dumped on them, calling them biased, accusing them of “judicial activism,” and describing them as Liberal hacks.
Read more »Harper’s MPs have also accused judges of being soft on crime, pandering to criminals at the expense of victims, and not knowing much about sentencing.
We need your postal code to identify your Member of Parliament! Register to find out your Member of Parliament!
