It's a Milestone! - Week 200 - Feb 23 - Mar 2

200 weeks!  Holy shit!  I mean, I've probably gotten my math wrong somewhere along the way, but it all sounds impressive.  I can't wait for the next election.  So I can stop having to do this shit.

An MP admits that omnibus bills are so large, they seldom have any clue what is in them.

Law professors.  What do they know about such things?  100 academics speak out against Bill C-51.

The Cons aren't really interested in hearing from experts before voting on C-51.  I see their point.  I mean, if you have your mind made up already, why bother with more than a couple of days of listening to experts?

Some documents have been released showing that our Security apparatuses were on "high alert" prior to the October attacks.  But weren't able to do anything.  And wouldn't have been able to do anything with their new powers.

Steven Blaney insists that families know all about their radicalized children and their beliefs before they head oversees.  Except for all those times when they have no idea.

FactsCan is checking up on some of the statements Conservatives are saying to get C-51 passed:

Daryl Kramp: “You have to commit a criminal offence” to fall within the scope of C-51 powers - False

Jason Kenney: “Bill C-51 does not add new powers to CSIS, it adds new powers to our independent judiciary, to the courts, to judges.” - False

This sounds ominous and terrible but it's sort of one of those "What did you think they were doing?" kinds of things.  CSE monitors visits to government websites and e-mails to government.

Some details on the RCMP treating environmentalists as criminals.

We're really taking this terror think a little too far.  Somebody built a giant hole!  Kind of near a stadium!  It's just a hole...but it could be more than a hole!  It could be a terror hole.  Or just a hole that some 20 year olds built because they were bored and wanted somewhere to hang out.  Can you imagine if they hadn't of been white guys?

A nice article on election reform and proportional representation.

Elections Act changes are finally being challenged in court.

This is a few years old, but gained traction on boingboing.  Anyhow, a man exhaustively details Conservative cuts and attacks on science.

The Cons are scrambling to figure out a way to appear to be helping Veterans.

We paid for a bunch of Conservatives to fight allegations of voting fraud.

The Conservatives have added some trans-phobic language to a bill designed to give Trans-gendered people more rights.

These fucking children.  Our Natural Resources Minister sticks his tongue out at Liberals in the House.

Oh boy.  The reasoning the Cons are giving for no National inquiry into missing aboriginal women?  They're just all victims of domestic violence.  Yikes.

More Coast Guard closures will hit British Columbia.

The Cons, those pillars of public communication, are thinking that maybe they should have a whole pile of debates for this upcoming election so that they can try to embarrass Trudeau.

Finally.  Inside the mind of Stephen Harper, thanks to an exclusive interview in the Costco Connection, conducted by the hard hitting editor of that well respected rag.

Chicken Hawk Steve is working hard to deport American deserters back to the US.

SNC Lavelin is turning into a smear on our entire country.  The World Bank highlights all it's corrupt subsidiaries, and it's a huge chunk of their "corrupt companies" list.

Student loans are a hot topic in BC.  First, the Advanced Education Minister conducted an interview where he made up some numbers about student loan rates.  Nobody cared.  Next, the BC Government is proposing to not issue you a drivers license if you have unpaid student loans.

The transit referendum in BC is making me very nervous.  It shows just how easy it is to torpedo an idea with a bit of fear mongering.  That's not to say that criticism of Translink is not valid...but to torpedo public transit in Vancouver over CEO salaries?  It reminds me of how election reform was torpedoed...and the HST was torpedoed...basically, if you want a policy to not be enacted, put it to a public vote.

Translink Transit Police are no longer going to phone the CBSA on illegal immigrants.

I think I might start highlighting one story every week that contains the most clueless comments.  This week "Calgary students disciplined for wearing KKK robes" - shit...let's take this further.  Let's highlight one particularly ignorant comment.  Oreillia Hoover of Calgary Alberta:

Most White teenagers don't tend to have guns... Most White teenagers as a rule don't go out and shoot people just to see how it feels like or for bragging rites or to pass initiation in a gang...! I don't believe I've ever heard any comments regarding black youths in Calgary/Canada...! These teenagers ARE in Calgary...! 
You want me to keep going cause I could...! And please spare me your terms of endearment...!