02.08.2011 06:56 AM

In today’s Sun: Losing our sovereignty

It was easy to miss.

In the midst of last Friday’s ongoing Egypt-related news, and the editorializing about a big snowstorm that wasn’t in the Centre of the Universe, and all of the fun pre-Super Bowl hoopla – Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama got together for a little chit-chat at the White House.

It didn’t get as much coverage as these things usually do.

Harper, I suspect, wasn’t unhappy about that. After all, the subject-matter of his trip Stateside – a border deal that would see Homeland Security being handed private information about Canadians, ostensibly in exchange for easier border-crossings – is one that is fraught with danger for the Conservative leader.

Harper, being a wily politician, knows this.

8 Comments

  1. Craig Chamberlain says:

    Re Rocco Rossi — “Remember, for instance, his bizarre kayak journey up the Rideau Canal?”

    No, I don’t. Wow – he did that?

    I wanted you to stop talking about him so that we could stop thinking about him. But this changes everything. I wish I knew about him doing that. I seriously would have missed a mortgage payment to donate to the LPO. Seriously. And I really think a lot of Canadians would say the same. Really. Send money to Ontario!

    Just wait – Mr. Clement will do it too. He’s good in the water. Just to prove we still have our sovereignty.

  2. William says:

    It goes much farther than just information sharing, and touches on immigration, entry-exit, economic interests, and more. The executive nature of the deal, where there is no civilian or political oversight by the House or Congress, is also very worrying.

  3. A.BO says:

    This story should be front and centre, everywhere. It gives me the heebie jeebies. Harper is poison.

  4. Brammer says:

    No doubt all kinds of crazy crap is going on. Quiet creaking “incremental” changes drowned out by the 24/7 Egyptian roar.

    Crises provide excellent cover for a government doing something that would otherwise piss off the masses.

    Thanks for shining some light into dark corners.

  5. Wayne says:

    They have a buy one get one free deal on tin foil hats on the LPC website?

  6. Namesake says:

    Unfortunately, it looks like the Cons. & their corporate shills have gotten in front of this already with a B.S. push poll and a ‘way over-torqued headline on its results:

    “Poll suggests Canadians overwhelmingly favour integrated border with U.S.” http://urlm.in/gymk

    based on the q.,

    “News reports have suggested that Canada and the US may be close to an agreement on a North American security perimeter. For each of the following, please indicate whether you would strongly support, support, oppose, or strongly oppose it being part of such an agreement? ”

    – Harmonizing safety regulations for food products (84% support – 29% strongly)
    – Shared intelligence gathering (75% support – 23% strongly)
    – A bilateral agency to oversee the building of border infrastructure (70% support – 14% strongly)
    – Requiring visas to cross the border (38% support – 9% strongly)

    (Harris-Decima release: http://urlm.in/gymm
    detailed H-D pdf: http://urlm.in/gymn

    Maybe the Opp. parties will have to commission their own poll now asking whether people support sharing their private data when they travel, denying U.S. entry to Canadians with records as a minor, allowing US police to make arrests in Canada, allowing Americans with guns to enter Canada… or whatever else might be on the table with this agreement.

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