human

Wednesday August 8, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday August 8, 2018

Saudi Arabia expels Canadian ambassador, freezes trade in human rights dispute

April 14, 2016

Saudi Arabia said Sunday it is ordering Canada’s ambassador to leave the country and freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada in a spat over human rights.

“We consider the Canadian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours, ” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Twitter. And the ministry said Saudi Arabia is recalling its ambassador to Canada in a dispute that appears to be over a tweet from Global Affairs Canada.

“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi.

“We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists, ” the Canadian tweet said on Friday.

March 31, 2016

The Saudi foreign ministry called the use of “immediately release” in the tweet “unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states.”

It called Canada’s characterization of the activists “an incorrect claim” and called Canada’s attitude “surprising.”

“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs, ” it said.

Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of the issue.

Saudi Arabia also said it was freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada .

It said that it will not accept any form of interference in its internal affairs and considers the Canadian position “an attack” requiring a firm stance to deter “attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the KSA.” (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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Saturday, February 21, 2015

Saturday, February 21, 2015
Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, February 21, 2015

Stephen Harper rejects calls for more oversight of new spy powers

Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejected calls for more political oversight of broad new spy and police powers, saying his Conservative government has “strengthened” oversight by turning to Canada’s judges.

Wednesday June 12, 2013Speaking in Surrey, B.C. Harper shrugged off calls by four former prime ministers and a growing chorus of critics who want a more robust role for parliamentarians in guarding against potential future abuses by security agencies.

The NDP and Liberals and now a group of 22 prominent Canadians have called for the establishment of a committee of elected officials that would oversee CSIS’ exercise of its proposed new mandate to disrupt emerging terror threats — as exists in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

On Thursday, Harper said the current watchdog agency, SIRC, already provides “independent expert third-party advice” about CSIS’s compliance with the law. He said Bill C-51, a sweeping bill that expands CSIS powers, would require CSIS to get a warrant from a judge on a case-by-case basis if its actions to disrupt threats will violate constitutional rights.

Friday October 10, 2014“We as a government are not interested in politicians doing that oversight,” said Harper.

Other senior Conservative ministers echoed the prime minister’s new line of defence, cited the evolving “mutating” threat, and broad public support for the bill reported by pollster Angus Reid.

Canada faces a “high probability” of a jihadist attack from homegrown terrorists, Defence Minister Jason Kenney warned Thursday as he defended the bill and hinted Ottawa will extend the military mission in Iraq.

In his first major address since taking over the national defence portfolio 10 days ago, Kenney said that while risk of conventional war has diminished, “the threat of terrorism has never been greater.”

Someone altered the cartoon and posted it on Twitter. Surveillance picked it up though.

Harper and Kenney spoke as the government voted to limit the initial debate in the Commons on the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act 2015. Bill C-51 would give CSIS agents broad new powers to actively disrupt suspected threats to Canada’s national security; criminalize the “promotion of terrorism,” ease the government’s ability to ban suspects from airline travel, and provide greater protection to secret witnesses and classified evidence. It would allow more information sharing among 17 federal agencies related to any “activity that undermines the security of Canada” — a definition the NDP says is overly broad and could be used to target First Nations and environmentalists, or the government’s political enemies. (Source: Toronto Star)

Posted at iPolitics.com