NDP need to challenge Harper's anti-terror Bill

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NDP need to challenge Harper's anti-terror Bill

[ http://rabble.ca/multimedia/2015/02/ndp ... error-bill ]

By Karl Nerenberg | February 18, 2015

The Liberals are backing Harper's new anti-terror legislation, so it looks like it falls to the NDP to challenge this problematic legislation.

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There are big political risks for the NDP in challenging Harper's anti-terror Bill:
[ http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/karl-ne ... s-anti-ter ]
By Karl Nerenberg | February 16, 2015

EXCERPT:

Harper does not seem to be looking for compromise, however. He wants a wedge issue, [ http://rabble.ca/news/2015/02/will-wedg ... 5-election ] one that will help him win seats in places that are usually tough for the Conservatives, places such as Quebec.

And, for his part, Mulcair has telegraphed that while the oversight matter may be a big issue, it is not his and his party's only concern.

The Official Opposition Leader made a cogent and reasonable case for his skeptical position in an interview with CBC Radio's Michael Enright.
LISTEN: [ http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayeditio ... -1.2955278 ]

He expressed concern about security forces using their new powers to -- just to cite one example -- go after Canadians who might want to non-violently "stand in the way" of pipelines.

And the NDP leader even went so far as to point out that our society's collective obsessive fear and loathing of so-called "jihadi" terrorists has more to do with the degree of publicity those jihadists get than the uniquely horrible nature of their violence.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mulcair pointed out, has been the scene of far more extensive and brutal violence than the Middle East, but has largely remained far off our and our media's radar. Thus we are not frightened of Congolese terrorism. We do not even object when our mining companies continue to profitably operate in that fearfully violent, conflict-wracked country.

But all of that is in the domain of rational argument, and Harper is not playing that game.

The Prime Minister's game is an appeal to irrational and inchoate fear. And, for now, he appears to be winning.

After all, even some of those who say they utterly despise Harper appear, at this point, to be convinced by his appeal to fear and fear alone.

The Liberals don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

They have agreed to support Bill C-51 before there has been even one minute of debate on it in the House -- let alone consideration, with expert witness testimony, by a House committee.

The thankless task of doing legislative due diligence and fulfilling the constitutional role of a parliamentary opposition falls to the NDP.

A number of experts and journalists are encouraging the NDP to "screw their courage to the sticking place" and give Bill C-51 a thorough going-over, without fear of anxious and terrified public opinion.

Taking up that challenge will win the Official Opposition respect among members of that distinct minority group.

But how will it impress the voters, especially in the NDP's current stronghold of Quebec?