What a billion dollars won’t buy
Since the G20 Summit in Toronto there have been continuous protests calling for a public inquiry into police conduct during the G20 with no end in sight. No mass arrests have occurred, no police cars have been burned or store windows smashed. Although, the lack of violence, vandalism and thuggery may owe more to the fact that the Harperites don’t have their people coordinating Toronto’s policing than any other reason.
So just how far will the various levels of government go to avoid any public examination on the largest mass arrests in Canadian history? Well, the federal tories are now filibustering in an attempt to force the Commons Committee on Public Safety not to reconvene and put the matter to a committee vote. The Globe and Mail.
Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are filibustering to block opposition efforts to launch hearings on policing at the Toronto G20 summit, accusing political rivals of seeking a platform to build sympathy for “thugs and hooligans” who rioted there. Parliament is adjourned for the summer, and the opposition majority – the NDP, Liberals and Bloc – forced the Commons committee on public safety to reconvene on Monday to vote on whether to start federal hearings on the G20 security.
But during a two-hour meeting, Conservative MPs on the committee repeatedly requested speaking time to object to holding an inquiry now, and the Tory chair refused opposition demands for a vote. Opposition MPs together can out-vote the Tories on the committee. “I don’t agree with the NDP and the fact it seems to be lining itself up with anarchist groups that went to Toronto and caused damage,” Tory MP Dean Del Mastro told the committee. “To recall this committee on an emergency basis is nothing more than a cheap political stunt.”
I’ll take cheap political stunts over the use of coercive power of the law against bubble blowers any day, and if that aligns me with the anarchists, so be it – I’ll stand with the bubble blowers. What’s the old line about Al Qaeda – they hate us for our freedoms? Seems like the police do too. Victor Davis Henson once wrote – “It is never wrong to be on the side of freedom – never.” For a political party which campaigned on and promised ‘accountability’ in governance it sure seems they spend most of their political capital playing duck, hide and cover.
In a more better world the Tory filibuster would be met by opposition members blowing bubbles. Now that would be cheap political theatre although there is always the risk the Tories might call in the mounties to arrest the MP’s for conspiracy to commit mischief…
h/tip Stageleft for Bubbles
