As predicted, when Harper’s gang finally achieved their majority, they’d go after section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. They didn’t campaign on a pledge to do that – it was never mentioned, as I recall – but they’re doing it.  In fact, before 2011, their position was always to defend the section.

Why is it a mistake?  Two reasons:

• We are now going to see a dramatic increase in the number of hate expression cases where the Criminal Code is involved.  The Human Rights Act, which is non-criminal, is a much better route than the Code, which is.
• If skittish Attorneys-General decline to grant permission for Code prosecutions, as I expect they will, the affected communities will grow frustrated (as happened in Citroen v. Zundel) and, in some cases, seek justice outside the judicial system.

Offensive expression is offensive – but it isn’t always criminal. The idiots in the Harper government have now created an environment where targets of hateful expression will be obliged to use the criminal law to defend themselves from hate.

I hope the Minister of Justice has the budget to hire many, many more prosecutors.  He’ll need them.

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Youngest Son: Daddy, will you be sad if I want to go to [eldest son’s] hockey game, not the Santa Claus parade?

Me, totally lying: No, of course not, buddy. If that’s what you want to do, we’ll do that.

[The author checks himself in for treatment of depression.]

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Confucius didn’t predict Stephen Harper, but it seems that the great Chinese philosopher certainly anticipated politicians like him.

“The superior man understands what is right,” Confucius observed some 500 years before the birth of Christ, “the inferior man understands what will sell.”

And what “sold,” up until 2009 or so, was the Conservative leader’s undisguised contempt for China and its government.

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Why are the Hudak PCs threatening an election just days after the last one, and why are they putting Ontario’s economic stability at risk?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

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How good does she seem?

Good enough that this incorrigible Liberal and liberal could vote for her, that’s how good.

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To wit:

Hudak suggests Tories may try to trigger election next year (Ont-Minority)
Source: The Canadian Press
Nov 18, 2011 16:40

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TORONTO – Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is suggesting that his party may try to trigger an election next year to put Ontario’s economy back on track.

In an email to the party faithful, Hudak slams Premier Dalton McGuinty for shooting down his idea to force a pay freeze on public sector workers through legislation.

He urges the party to continue working hard so they “will be ready to go into an election next year if necessary to restore Ontario as the economic leader in Canada.”

But the Tories wouldn’t be able to bring down the government on their own.

They hold just 37 seats in the 107-member legislature, which means they’d need the support of the NDP, who have 17 seats.

The Oct. 6 election saw the Liberals reduced to just 53 seats _ one short of a majority government.

INDEX: LABOUR ONTARIO POLITICS

“Mr. Hudak, is [insert complaint] now enough for you to finally defeat the government? When are you going to do that?  When are you going to make good on your threat? When? When?” Every press conference.  Every release.  Everything he does, now – he will be asked about this Historic Blunder™.  What an idiot.

And when he doesn’t defeat the government – because he won’t – he’ll look weak, or like he made a Historic Blunder™, or both.

Didn’t know this one was coming, but I’m sure glad it did.  God’s a Liberal, etc.

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All these Natalie Wood stories today got me thinking about where I was, early Eighties-ish.  It being three decades ago, I’m not totally sure.  But I’m pretty sure I wasn’t combing through the Entertainment section, looking for updates on Robert Wagner’s career.

No, me and my friends were elsewhere.  Memories: the vid below is so perfect, so wonderful, it makes me feel young again, so I thought I’d share it with you.  (Scary thought: half of these guys are lawyers, now.)

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Spotted by BCL:

“I thank you for all of your previous support, but I also encourage you to continue working hard so we will be ready to go into an election next year if necessary to restore Ontario as the economic leader in Canada.

Yours truly,

Tim Hudak”

What’s noteworthy about this is two-fold.  One, it was a letter from Tim Hudak to Edward Kennedy, a white supremacist and recent Ontario PC executive who writes filth like this:  “Typical n****r behavior. Concealed carry would have made the outcome much different. Note if the perpetrators had been White, they would have all got the death penalty for a hate crime against n*****s. And the lieberals wonder why a large segment of Whites hate blacks and distrust them. I am surprised the black bastards did not try to rape them, that is standard fare for n*****s.“

Two, even though a form letter, it suggests that Tea Party Tim Hudak wants to plunge the province back into an unnecessary election – at a time when Ontarians want the focus to be jobs, and improving the economy.

Nice catch, BCL.  I’d even venture the opinion that this is news, Friday afternoon notwithstanding.

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It takes you from the personal to the global, and you don’t even notice she’s doing it.  Along with being such an important subject, it’s just wonderful writing.

 

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Here.

The repeated references to “balls” are disturbing, but worth a read.  And, BTW, where did this web site come from?

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