Voices

Aggression during G20 rally ‘perpetrated by police,’ judge rules

A Toronto judge has ruled that “adrenalized” police officers acted as aggressors at a peaceful political rally that led to dozens of arrests during last year’s G20 summit. ... “The only organized or collective physical aggression at that location that evening was perpetrated by police each time they advanced on demonstrators,” Justice Melvyn Green ruled on Thursday. ... Green stated police criminalized political demonstration, which is “vital” to maintain a “viable democracy.”

A group of academics and public interest organizations released a joint letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper today, voicing their grave concerns about legislation that would allow for warrantless online spying on Canadians ("Lawful Access" legislation). The letter calls on the government to, at minimum, give the proposed legislation an appropriate hearing instead of rushing it through Parliament.

Photograph by Mark Ralston, AFP/Getty Images

The Conservative government is overestimating the effectiveness of some of its environmental policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is nowhere near being able to meet its 2020 emissions target, according to an analysis published last week. The report, produced by an independent arm’s-length agency, broke out eight specific federal policies and their estimates, and found that the government made reliable estimates for only three.

Thanks to the new "Open Government" initiative, data are easier to access on the Canadian International Development Agency's website.

Former cabinet minister Stockwell Day's new website states that his new consulti

Former B.C. MP and Conservative cabinet minister Stockwell Day has set up a political consulting business that one critic charges could come close to lobbying, which would be illegal for anyone who's recently been a member of the government.

A federal agency that's supposed to safeguard transparency and openness in government hiring practices cooked four of its own employment contracts to make sure favoured workers got hired. That's the conclusion of the watchdog over the federal contracting process, who determined the Public Service Commission of Canada also failed to properly document its flawed decision-making.

The Insurance Corporation of B.C. is under investigation for offering its facial-recognition technology to help police identify participants in the Stanley Cup Riot last month. B.C.’s Information and Privacy Commissioner is determining whether ICBC’s use of this technology complies with privacy laws.