#Duffy Not Faulted For Listening To Harper

3 years ago, I explained what was happening with the Duffy trial. Today it came to a close.

It's about the credibility of Duffy vs. the credibility of the Harper PMO. One of them will take a big hit today.

— Lawrence Martin (@LMartinOttawa) April 21, 2016

whatever else to think about #duffy verdict, good for Judge V to cite role of "authoritative figures"in the choices made

— Bruce Anderson (@bruceanderson) April 21, 2016

Judge says @stephenharper advised #Duffy PEI is now your primary residence. Justice "this was NOT a minor bureaucratic official #cdnpoli

— Hannah Thibedeau (@HannahThibedeau) April 21, 2016

Reminder: Stephen Harper's story on #Duffy changed 9 times as evidence emerged. Duffy never paid back the money, Nigel Wright did #cdnpoli

— HaikuVikingGal (@HaikuVikingGal) April 21, 2016

Harper’s fan club isn’t too impressed either:

Regardless of the outcome, you know it's gonna be Harper's fault. #duffygate https://t.co/HLfpmLe7WG

— JimmyDubYYC (@jimmydubyyc) April 21, 2016

Judge says he believes that a memo (see link) on residence may have been interpreted the way #Duffy says he saw it https://t.co/0k8FQXoWT0

— Althia Raj (@althiaraj) April 21, 2016

Conservatives Failed to Protect Privacy

The Liberals record? Not much better.

“I can’t answer the question about the former government, what their reasons were,” said Sajjan, also noting he does not believe any of the metadata inadvertently shared could have ended up in the hands of any countries beyond the Five Eyes.

BREAKING: #CSE suspends #metadata sharing with int'l partners after finding identity info wasn't protected enough https://t.co/QTff5HpNPT

— OpenMedia (@OpenMediaOrg) January 28, 2016

Data: Your IP address.#Metadata: When you were last online.#NSA compares that time to a crime, subjecting you to profiling. #CSE

— Saskboy (@saskboy) January 28, 2016

The Establishment And Your Phone

In the good old days, Canada’s spy agencies were not supposed to spy on Canadians. Government departments are also supposed to benefit from their research into vulnerabilities in computer systems, because holes can be closed. CSE was, according to The CBC, and The Intercept, intentionally not filling holes it found in the Google App Store and a popular web browser, in order to infect targets of spying. The result is that hostile governments and hackers could also use these holes if they independently discovered them.

Oh My

Monday morning CBC news with David Common led with the story of Elizabeth May’s failed PPG skit on Saturday. How’s that for perspective? These are the people who until last month had been considering not even letting the Green Party leader speak at the televised leaders’ debates, and now she’s a top story two days after a gaffe.

May told Hiscox that she was attempting to play off her image as a “goody-goody two shoes” in Parliament.

“I never heckle, I never swear, I’m respectful to everyone, so I’d gotten the idea that as skit material, it would be be funny if I were different from how I actually am,” she said.

“That obviously doesn’t work… especially in a clip out of context from the whole event.”

kinsellawarren:
“So, @ElizabethMay’s thing wasn’t funny and was likely, er, over-refreshed. But the top news story everywhere? Seriously?”

"There's gotta be a closet here somewhere," @ElizabethMay says of @pmharper's absence at the #pgd15.

— Mackenzie Scrimshaw (@MkScrimshaw) May 10, 2015

.@BRSommerville @canadiancynic Seems Elizabeth May tired and tipsy is still a better orator while swearing at cabinet, than any other MP.

— John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) May 10, 2015

“I was trying — and obviously failing, badly — at delivering something a bit edgy, and in hindsight, should have realized that I had travelled so much in the previous 48 hours that I was probably too sleep deprived to pull it off properly.”

rocnrule:
“Ironically, sleep deprivation was also the reason Khadr agreed to a plea deal…”

@AndrewMitrovica @VoiceOfFranky If only the fuddle duddle federal cabinet had more class than a killer.

— John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) May 11, 2015

Dear media: Remember your mission to "afflict the comfortable?" Elizabeth May was simply showing you how to do your jobs. Awkward?

— CC (@canadiancynic) May 10, 2015

Conservatives openly stoking racism & Islamophobia, Liberals sold our rights away for votes, but we're mad at @ElizabethMay for cussing.

— Andray (@AndrayDomise) May 10, 2015

C-51 Being Pushed by “Fascist” language

A former Mountie and CSIS operative thinks Harper’s so called anti-terrorism bill is scary and unnecessary.

Mr. Lavigne, 55, left government in 1999, but follows intelligence news closely.

He spent years tracking dangerous radicals without the powers the government wants to give to CSIS.

“I find it a little convenient that in the past few years that these radicalized people are the biggest threat to ever hit us,” he said. “There are more people dying because of drunk drivers or because of gang violence.”

(-link added by me)

Mr. Lavigne said the prime minister’s advisers must tell him that using inflammatory language increases the risk.

“When our leaders start talking about tentacles and jihadis and barbarians, it’s adding fuel to the fire. It’s actually increasing the likelihood of that happening.”

Mr. Lavigne said the prime minister’s language reminds him of fascist leaders like Mussolini and Franco.

“Some of these tactics are taken right out of the fascist playbook,” he said.

“They’re not crossing the line. They’re using the language to appeal to the emotions, which is one of the first stages. Disinformation being the second, which I think they also use. But they’re not fascist. I’m not saying the government’s fascist.”

He laughs.

“Don’t detain me.”

Ha. Ha. Don’t detain me, either.

Hot Room Politics

Media in Ottawa are too busy eating each other alive to focus on the main course passing authoritarian Bill C-51.

Glen McGregor takes the proposed Press Gallery changes apart.

@pdmcleod fair enough, moneybags. New territory to me. What's a more apt description?

— Jesse Brown (@JesseBrown) February 24, 2015

@laura_payton As this is being triggered now, Q is: if a PPG Member is offended at another's remarks & complains:would this be "just cause"?

— D. Matthew Millar (@dmatthewmillar) February 23, 2015

Parliament Should Go Solar

Following up on my 2010 blog post on solar for the White House, it takes almost 3 years to get solar added to a historic national building.

That’s why we should all get started with pressing Parliament Hill’s renovation to include commercially available PV solar panels to the south facing slopes of Canada’s iconic government building.

Simply put, solar panels mean less carbon pollution, and more jobs for Americans – jobs that can’t be outsourced. They’re good for our energy future, and they’re good for our economy.

Time to follow America, again.