security

Saturday February 10, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 10, 2018

Should Hamilton homeowners be allowed to point cameras at the street?

The city will look at making it legal for homeowners to point security cameras at the street as a way to aid police investigations.

February 17, 2014

But the province’s former privacy commissioner, Ann Cavoukian, is urging council to think twice.

Councillors endorsed a motion from Coun. Sam Merulla Wednesday to study changing a city bylaw that bans residential security cameras from pointing anywhere other than the homeowner’s own property.

Merulla argued home security footage is an increasingly crucial investigative tool, pointing to footage that helped police track down the people who murdered Ancaster’s Tim Bosma.

“You can already walk down the street holding a video camera without breaking the law. But you can’t point a security camera at the street? That doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

January 17, 2001

He also argued the existing bylaw is tough to enforce, given a homeowner can refuse access to a bylaw officer seeking to examine camera footage.

But Cavoukian, now a privacy expert-in-residence at Ryerson University, said Hamilton’s bylaw was hailed as a “progressive” measure when it was passed in 2010. (The rule was one of many included in the city’s “fortifications” bylaw enacted in response to gang clubhouse concerns.)

“You would be going from a wonderful bylaw that protects your citizens’ fundamental right to privacy … to allowing practically everything (in neighbourhoods) to be recorded,” she said. “Why would you do that?”

It’s unclear how many Ontario cities actually ban private homeowner cameras from pointing at public spaces. London has a bylaw with similar provisions. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

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Friday December 1, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 1, 2017

Trump’s behavior raises questions of competency

Donald Trump potentially has millions of lives in his hands as the threat of a devastating war with North Korea swiftly escalates.

January 20, 2017

Yet the President of the United States is raising new questions about his temperament, his judgment and his understanding of the resonance of his global voice and the gravity of his role with a wild sequence of insults, inflammatory tweets and bizarre comments.

On Wednesday Trump caused outrage and sparked fears of violent reprisals against Americans and US interests overseas by retweeting graphic anti-Muslim videos by an extreme far right British hate group. Earlier this week he used a racial slur in front of Native American war heroes. He’s attacked global press freedom, after cozying up to autocrats on his recent Asia tour.

August 18 2017

And now there are reports that the President has revived conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama’s birthplace and is suggesting an “Access Hollywood” video on which he was heard boasting sexually assaulting women, and for which he apologized last year, had been doctored.

In normal times, it would be a concern that the President is conducting himself in a manner so at odds with the decorum and propriety associated for over two centuries with the office he holds.

September 20, 2017

But the sudden escalation of the North Korean crisis, following the Stalinist state’s launch of its most potent ever missile on Tuesday, takes the world across a dangerous threshold.

If diplomacy is unable to defuse the North Korea crisis, or slow its march to the moment when Kim Jong Un can credibly claim to be able to target all of the United States with a nuclear payload, Trump will face one of the most intricate dilemmas of any modern President. Will he live with the threat posed by a mercurial, wildly unpredictable adversary? Or, will he launch what could turn out to be a hugely bloody and destructive war to remove Kim’s nuclear threat?

November 3, 2017

There will be a premium on Trump’s judgment, his capacity to absorb the most serious detail and to make choices that could put many, many lives at risk, and draw the United States into escalating situations in Northeast Asia. Trump would be required to switch from the swaggering, untethered political persona he has been reluctant to drop as President into the role of sober statesman, unifying the nation and US allies — a switch he has rarely achieved so far in his 10 months in power.

On Wednesday, in St. Charles, Missouri, Trump stuck to his preferred name calling, again blasting Kim as “Little Rocket Man” and branding him a “sick puppy” after his White House earlier promised severe new sanctions against Pyongyang. But he didn’t elaborate on his vows to “handle” the situation. (Continued: CNN) 

 

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Wednesday June 21, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 21, 2017

Liberals to create ‘super’ national security review body as part of anti-terror law overhaul

August 19, 2016

The Liberal government is creating a new “super” civilian watchdog to review security and intelligence agencies across government as part of a legislative overhaul of Canada’s anti-terrorism regime.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale tabled the bill in the House of Commons today, and said it aims to strike a better balance between strengthening security and safeguarding charter and privacy rights.

“Governments have no greater responsibilities than keeping their citizens safe and safeguarding their rights and freedoms,” he said. “These are the fundamental obligations that underpin the new national security legislation.”

February 21, 2015

Goodale said “unprecedented” public consultations helped shape the new legislation. While there were some stark differences of opinion, there was a broad consensus among Canadians that the security regime must be accountable, transparent and effective, while safeguarding personal rights, he said.

Goodale said the new expert review body, called the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, will have jurisdiction right across the government, including the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), as well as every other department and agency that has a security or intelligence function.

A senior government official, speaking on background, said the body will also oversee security functions of the RCMP, and be able to “follow the thread” when issues cross over into various agencies. (Source: CBC News) 

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Saturday June 17, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday June 17, 2017

China-based Hytera returns with matching bid for Vancouver’s Norsat International

September 23, 2016

Norsat International Inc., the Vancouver tech firm at the centre of duelling acquisition bids, says China-based Hytera Communications has matched a $67.3 million US rival takeover offer from an American fund manager.

Hytera, which manufactures radio transceivers and radio systems, made its friendly takeover offer for Norsat last year and received clearance under the Investment Canada Act this month.

April 26, 2017

But Privet Fund Management LLC — a U.S. company that already owns 17.6 per cent of Norsat’s equity — emerged with a rival bid this week that was 25 cents per share above Hytera’s offer of $11.25 US.

Although Hytera has now raised its offer to $11.50 US per share and amended the break fees in line with Privet’s bid, Norsat says there’s no assurance that the transaction will get all necessary approvals and be completed.

Hytera’s proposal has sparked a heated political debate over national security risks.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week that the U.S. was consulted before Industry Canada gave its approval early in June. But Norsat says it also needs approval from the federal government’s industrial technologies office.

Norsat announced Friday that its previously adjourned shareholders meeting will resume next Thursday in Richmond, B.C. (Source: CBC News) 

 

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Wednesday February 22, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 22, 2017

Trudeau says Canada one of NATO’s ‘strongest actors’ without committing more money

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about Canada’s diverse contributions to the NATO partnership without committing to up its defence spending when he addressed a news conference in Berlin.

Trudeau and Angela Merkel addressed reporters Friday following their morning meeting and an impromptu dinner Thursday at the German chancellor’s invitation.

Trump has called the 28-country alliance obsolete and U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis told his fellow defence ministers in Brussels this week that while the United States still holds NATO in high regard, it expects its allies to start spending more on defence or the Trump administration will “moderate its commitment.”

Germany has signalled it will heed the warning and make attempts to boost defence spending, which Merkel brought up when asked about it on Friday.

But in Ottawa, there’s little indication that any increase in NATO-specific defence spending is on the horizon.

‘Germany and Canada have always been among the strongest actors in NATO.’- Justin Trudeau

Canada currently spends 0.99 per cent of gross domestic product on defence. That’s below the NATO target of two per cent of GDP, which only a handful of alliance countries have met.

On Friday, Trudeau said that two per cent target is one all NATO countries agreed to, but there are many ways of looking at a country’s contributions to the alliance.

“When you look at the countries that regularly step up — delivering troops, participating in missions, being there to do the heavy lifting in the alliance — Germany and Canada have always been amongst the strongest actors in NATO,” he said.

He made the case that Canada is leading the battle group in Latvia, and working to procure more aircraft and ships for its military as two examples.(Source: CBC News)