Ottawa police officers, with Parliament Hill in the background, guard the area
around the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa in this October 23, 2014
file photo. A review Ottawa undertook in the aftermath of the October attacks on
Canadian soldiers, when a gunman also stormed Parliament, flagged gaps in the
tools available to fight extremists.
(BLAIR GABLE/REUTERS)
The Canadian government is expected to lower the threshold for preventative arrests and restrict the movements of alleged radicals as part of legislation to fight terrorism.
Ottawa is also looking to revise the Passenger Protect system to make it easier to keep individuals from boarding planes.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently promised a bill soon that will address shortcomings in the tools that security agencies and law enforcement have to thwart terror attacks.
A review Ottawa undertook in the aftermath of the October attacks on Canadian soldiers, when a gunman also stormed Parliament, flagged gaps in the tools available to fight extremists.
For example, under the current no-fly list regime, the only way authorities can keep someone off a plane is if they can prove the person represents a direct threat to that particular plane and passengers.
Ottawa wants to be able to keep suspected extremists from flying if the authorities believe they represent a threat – even if the danger is not to the immediate plane that the individuals want to board.
In the case of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the gunman who killed a soldier and breached Centre Block, the RCMP had tried in vain to get a peace bond last summer that would have restricted his movements, sources say.
When Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau applied for a passport to travel to Syria, the RCMP were contacted to conduct a background check. The Montreal man’s passport application wasn’t rejected, but it hadn’t been approved because the investigation was continuing to determine whether he should receive one. Investigators believe the passport issue was part of his motivation for the shooting.
The Mounties failed to get a peace bond because the public prosecutor said they needed more evidence.
The government isn’t faulting the public prosecutor or the RCMP and instead wants to retool the law.
The Conservatives have been weighing new tools to deal with citizens who openly support terrorist attacks on Canadians or back groups that promote this goal, as well as additional powers or measures for police and agencies that monitor terrorist groups.
Critics have already raised concerns that Ottawa could trample civil rights by overreacting to attacks in Canada and abroad.
The Conservatives maintain they will ensure the planned new anti-terrorism measures do not go too far.
“We want to make sure that we get a balance – that we protect the rights of Canadians and also the security of Canadians. We must protect both,” Mr. Harper said this month.
Ottawa has already signalled it will give government departments and agencies explicit authority to share private or confidential commercial information in legislation to be introduced shortly after the Commons resumes Monday.
Sources familiar with the plans say a government review of the killings found problems that inhibit the free flow of useful information between departments and security agencies.
The changes would allow information submitted in passport applications and on the movement of items such as automatic weapons, GPS systems or controlled goods that could be used in terrorist attacks to be shared with Canadian security agencies.
Ottawa is also planning a more robust government-financed campaign to thwart radicalization in young people. The RCMP have started a program, but Ottawa is looking at doing more.
Right now, departments or agencies might have the discretion to circulate data, but often hold back for fear of breaching privacy legislation that protects individuals or corporations.
Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre
Stephen Harper has a mob of Domestic Terrorists close to Parliament Hill in
downtown Ottawa terrorizing Ontario, who have total immunity from criminal and
civil liability.
Marguerite Lewis is employed as a lawyer for the Children's Aid Society of
Ottawa. It's a criminal organization that strikes terror into generally fathers.
Marguerite Lewis personally fabricates evidence to protect the most violent of
mothers who habitually assault their children and or male partners. When she is
faced with an unprecedented quantity and quality of evidence that a mother is
extremely violent and makes admissions, she claims that the admissions were not
made and then claims the male victim of domestic violence made admissions.
This is a classic example the terror fathers face when going to court when the
Fas.cist province of Ontario promotes violence by women towards men and funds it
with Billions of dollars of your tax dollars.
The Children's Aid Societies of Ontario receive Billions of dollars each year
most of which is spent in providing free Litigation services, where the Rules of
Evidence are thrown away and only their fabricated evidence accepted by THEIR
own hand picked corrupt Judges who are Former lawyers for the CAS selected by
our decades of Corrupt Governments who have increasingly made the CAS
unaccountable.
The Ottawa Police investigated Marguerite Lewis and a Sgt. John Gibbons
concluded "She lied to the judge, its perjury" and then dropped the
investigation after a phone call from an other professional child abuser,
criminal and domestic terrorist,
Tracey Engleking and that's another story you can read about at
Ottawa Mens Cente.com / wanted
.