Post Tagged with: "harper"

Privacy Commissioner Investigating PM Harper Over New Year Card

The Edmonton Sun reports that the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is investigating a complaint related to the distribution of Jewish New Year cards from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  The card raised questions in my household as well – where did Harper get data on Jewish addresses?

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October 10, 2007 2 comments News

Man Acquitted on Blog Threats to the Prime Minister

Canwest reports that an Alberta man has been acquitted of posting death threats against Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his blog.

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August 8, 2007 Comments are Disabled News

PM Harper Confirms Canadian Movie Piracy Bill On the Way

CTV is reporting that Prime Minister Stephen Harper today will confirm what has become increasingly obvious – under pressure from the U.S. and Hollywood studios, Canada will introduce anti-camcording legislation. Harper is using California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's visit to Ottawa to serve notice of the proposed bill.  That approach really […]

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May 30, 2007 11 comments News

Science and Tech Strategy a Missed Opportunity

Appeared in the Toronto Star on May 28, 2007 as Science and Tech Strategy a Missed Opportunity Earlier this month, Canada's top government leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier, and Finance Minister Jim Flahery unveiled the government's new science and technology strategy.  Mobilizing Science and Technology […]

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May 28, 2007 3 comments Columns Archive

Supreme Court Upholds Election Publication Ban

A sharply divided Supreme Court of Canada this morning upheld an Elections Act provision that bans publication of election results before the close of all polling stations in that district.  The case stems from the posting of election results on a website during the 2000 election.  The majority of the court (written by Bastarache with concurring reasons from Fish) ruled that the infringement of freedom of expression is justified given the desire for informational equality among all voters.  The majority was unpersuaded by the ineffectiveness and inconvenience (to broadcasters) of the law, noting that "it cannot be allowed to override as important a goal as the protection of Canada’s electoral democracy."

As was the case in the Robertson v. Thomson copyright case, the dissent was written by Abella (there is nearly the same split in the court).  Justice Abella was entirely unpersuaded by the evidence marshalled to justify the limit on freedom of expression.  She states that

"Any evidence of harm to the public’s perception or conduct in knowing the election results from Atlantic Canada before they vote is speculative, inconclusive and largely unsubstantiated. The harm of suppressing core political speech, on the other hand, is profound. The benefits of the ban are, accordingly, far outweighed by its deleterious effects."

The dissent is also far more concerned with the interplay between the ban and new technologies.  

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March 15, 2007 4 comments News