Michael Geist wrote:... a recent report Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights suggests that the changes coming to the bill may not address public concern but rather expand lawful access requirements even further.
One of two Vice-Chairs of the 'Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights' is
MP Irwin Cotler, arguably the figurehead of 'Human Rights' activism and legislation in Canada.
Mr. Cotler directed the 'Human Rights' program at
McGill University from 1973 until 1999, and was mentor to/colleague of McGill graduate Richard Warman during the period that Mr. Warman was referred to as
Canada's self-appointed 'Hatefinder General'During Mr. Cotler's tenure as
Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada [December 2003 to February 2006], colleague Richard Warman was actively engaged in launching complaints with the CHRCommission, and participating in CHRTribunal hearings arising from those complaints.
During Mr. Cotler's tenure as
Parliamentary Public Safety/Human Rights/Justice Critic from Feb 2006 until the present day, he has remained mute to concerns arising from Mr. Warman's CHRC/T activism, and
associated litigation, while stating
outside the House that:
- the AlbertaHRT should never have entertained the Stephen Boisson Hearing; and
- that "truth should be a defense"; and
- that he is against SLAPP suits--strategic litigation to shut down political debate; and
- that "The first point of departure has to be the importance and the protection of free speech...a "baseline" that must be protected.
During a
'Human Dignity' rally in August of 2008, Mr. Cotler railed against the Chinese government thusly:
- we should not be rewarding a culture of impunity; and
- Their [Chinese government] deeds betray their undertaking; and
- Put an end to the firewall between journalists and the chinese citizens, and between chinese citizens and the media themselves.
Mr. Cotler's also stated during the 'Human Dignity' rally that:
China buying oil from Sudan, Sudan using the oil to buy weapons from China, and the weapons used to kill Darfuri, and so we say at this point to China: the culture of impunity must end.
which might be seen as a prescient forward to Ezra Levant's book
'Ethical Oil'and that:
There are times such as these 'Qui s'excuse s'accuse - whoever remains indifferent indicts himself and herself', and so we say " We will not be silenced, we will not be indifferent, we will be relentless in raising our voice for the pursuit of freedom for all.
which is the 'crie de geurre' of FreeDominion with regard to the abuse visited upon Canadians by 'Sec. 13.1' persecutions.
Under covert surveillance by CHRC investigators since 2006, FreeDominion has been hounded by a cabal of
'like-minded' activists and blog sites in an ongoing attempt to
'shut down political debate' which occurs on this site.
Mr. Cotler is complicit in this pursuit, as he 'knew or ought to have known' of the ongoing activities (eg. commentaries demonizing FreeDominion members and the Conservative Party of Canada) at the
'Anti-Racist Canada' website, and those who contribute to the commentaries of that site, and those sites which link to and disseminate the
syndicated information appearing in Anti-Racist Canada and
associated sites.Would that Mr. Cotler be as outspoken in defense of the right for members of FreeDominion to criticize the actions of CHRC/T employees and Sec 13.1 activist Richard Warman, but alas, FreeDominion is not in China.
Having failed to protect against the excesses in legal litigation springing from 'human rights' activism in Canada, both as Justice Minister in the government, and as 'Justice Critic' in Loyal Opposition,
Mr. Cotler should resign from his position of Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.He has failed to adequately address the wrongdoings perpetrated against 'freedom of expression', in the name of 'human rights', within his own borders, and allows his own activism against anti-Semitic rhetoric to cloud his judgment with regard to establishing rules for the conduct of his fellow Canadians.
Until such time as Mr. Cotler properly addresses the
'deeds which betrayed the undertaking' in his own country, following his own lead,
he should refrain from active participation in establishing new rules under consideration by Canada's lawmakers.