Canada's parliament is considering legislation to allow police and other agencies to intercept Internet traffic to and from individuals without a warrant! They would be allowed to just walk into any ISP, flash some tin and demand that the company copy any cutomer's data stream to them! What's worse, ISPs will be required to buy and install the hardware necessary to do it! And the legislation is worded so vaguely that police and other agencies could demand citizens's data streams for any reason or no reason.
Now I doubt that this legislation would stand up to a constitutional examination by the Supreme Court... if any ISP or effected citizen could afford to pursue such a case... but I remember how these Conservatives have had a problem with the courts striking down unconstitutional legislation since they were still the Reform Party. ("Do you want some unelected judges to be able to undo the will of the elected government of Canada?" If your laws are trying to over-ride my constitutional rights, you're damn right I do!) So I doubt that Mr Harper or his party care much about people's rights; "law-and-order" is a "motherhood" issue to them, rights are just a needless, petty inconvenience to the police.
For my friends in other countries, if you'd like to help too, I don't think you can sign the petition. But this page explains how to contact our Prime Minister.http://pm.gc.ca/eng/contact.asp?featureId=10 Read the further explanation on the petition page, (to make extra sure you know what you're talking about), then send Mr Harper a note and tell him what you think. Maybe some foreign infamy will help him and his party to think twice.
