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Saturday, February 18, 2006
Irwin Cotler still picking our judges
I don't get it. Why is the otherwise solid Justice Minister, Vic Toews, confining himself to a short-list of Supreme Court justices compiled by turbo-liberal Irwin Cotler?
Wasn't the whole point of replacing the Liberals to replace the Liberals?
And isn't the appointment of a Supreme Court justice possibly the most important and long-lasting act that the Conservative Justice Minister will ever make?
So why the mad rush, the excuse used to justify picking from Cotler's leftover, left-wing list?
The SCC vacancy has been open for two months; the pick will last decades. Couldn't this wait a few more weeks while some less activist names were compiled?
It's hard to believe this is coming from Vic Toews, arguably the most conservative man in cabinet.
Posted by Ezra Levant on February 18, 2006 | Permalink
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Because Vic was in on the compilation of the short list. It was a group consensus list of six, of which three were going forward. I get the sense that the new judge is coming from one of the three that were not selected for the short-short list.
In the end, we're talking about judges from Saskatchewan and Manitoba here. The pool of Supreme Court candidates has got to be swallow simply due to demographics.
Posted by: The Hack | 2006-02-18 3:47:45 PM
Those bad Liberals
There now exists a time of heightened tension on the University of Toronto campus in Canada of all places too after the Jewish student activist group Betar-Tagar and the Arab Students Collective held rival week-long events titled "Know Radical Islam" and "Israeli Apartheid week.". There have been similar unrest now in other Canadian Universities such as Montreal's Concordia now too. But there was a the gold old days time In Canada when the Jews in Canada had found respect and peace in Montreal, Toronto as well. I do now really blame the Liberals who let in all of these too many clearly trouble making Muslims, Arabs into the country of Canada, who too often bought their way in too, and now we find real unneeded Muslim conflicts for the Jews, Christians too and the rest of Canada.
I trust that the Immigration ministers will see the error of their ways and shut the door to any further Muslim immigrations for we already do know that in Europe, Denmark these Muslims refuse to integrate to the mainstream society, to be peaceful as well, but as trouble makers work hard at disturbing the peace, chasing their non peaceful religion down other people's throats too.
Now me telling the whole trust so not make me a hater, a racists but a peace loving person still too. Canada was known as a peacemaker before the last Liberals wrecked it.
Posted by: paul | 2006-02-18 3:51:20 PM
I think the root of the problem is Mr. Harper's pool of Cabinet material. Mr. Toews may seem conservative, but who knows? I know a few Mennonites, and I trust them as far as I can throw them. I would guess he rode the Reform bandwagon just for convenience. An ex-inlaw of mine (also Mennonite) rode the NDP train in Sask., and came up with a great pension. Speaking of pensions, Jack Layton is on the verge of doubling his. Do you think that factored into their political persuasion?
Mr. Harper should have ordered most of those old Reform people to fall on their swords. They served their purpose. Mr. Manning was a good man, and we needed him, but we've come full circle now.
Posted by: dan | 2006-02-18 4:05:48 PM
Recall that in the "The Bishop's Gambit", Prime Minister Hacker has to select a bishop (i.e., recommend to the sovereign). He is to pick from a list prepared by the civil service.
Bernard explains to Hacker that civil service choices are a conjurer's trick, they tell you to pick a card, but you always pick the one they want. They do this by providing options that they don't think are reasonable, so you won't pick them over their choice. As Bernard said, when it comes to bishoprics, you usually get a choice between a knave and a queen.
In "The Bishop's Gambit", Sir Humphrey does indeed prevail over Hacker in getting the Dean of Baillie College, Oxford, appointed as the Bishop of Bury St. Edmond's, which he has orchestrated with the Master of the College in order to allow Sir Humphrey to become the Master when he retires. They had to get rid of the Dean because of his dislike for Humphrey.
The most famous line is when the church representative points out that one had the candidates had been waiting for his bishopric for quite some time, and Humphrey said, "Long time, no See."
Anyway, the point is that, because the civil service has to put up plausible alternatives that they don't think you will pick, there's always the danger to them that you might pick one of them because they actually fit into you policy better than the civil service appreciated. This is particularly the case when the government changes under the feet of the civil service.
So it could be, as The Hack suggested, that since Mr. Toews sat on the selection committees before the election, he and Mr. Harper are happy with one of the alternatives that the civil service didn't expect anyone to pick.
Posted by: Vitruvius | 2006-02-18 4:12:21 PM
Someone please tell me it isn't the "same ol' same ol'"
Bad dream as is. Shades of '92-94...
Posted by: tomax | 2006-02-18 4:15:02 PM
I would also guess that there was a well qualified slightly right of centre FOH [ friend of Harper ] on the list of 6. Cotler probably threw the name on just in case he had to justify his ' impartiality ' . Then he could whip out this list and act all self righteeous as only he can do . After all ,it would look a bit rich if every one on his list was a raving gay marriage advocate. He`d have to throw one or two normal ones on it as well.
I sure hope the selection can pass muster with Jack Layton. He`s liable to threaten a hunger strike with his 29 seats. After all he`s the only one that does things for ' people ' . I mean just look at all those concrete things he has done . Not..
Posted by: dave | 2006-02-18 4:27:46 PM
Somehow its too much to hope that the Canadian Civil Service is half as competant as the Yes,Minister version.
I'll keep my fingers crossed though.
Posted by: Feynman and Coulter's Love Child | 2006-02-18 4:31:57 PM
'The Hack' may have the inside goods on this. I look forward to the parliamentry public vetting of these nominees -- the first time in the Canadian history of judge selection. This transparent process, while not perfect, will be revolutionary from our limited Canuck perspective. It will be interesting to see how the liberal media seals react to politicos & nominees, Q. & A. To paraphrase Reagan, take down that judicial wall!!!
Posted by: Dave | 2006-02-18 5:00:10 PM
Heh heh ... poor Ez ... the problem is that to you it is INCONCEIVABLE that a list of possible Supreme Court judges created by a committee headed by a Liberal could be anything other than a collection of leftist radicals. But if you could possibly imagine that the list just MIGHT contain respectable judges that both Conservatives and conservatives could like, then this is not odd news.
But I don't want your head to explode, so please don't actually try imagining that.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 2006-02-18 5:33:21 PM
Come on now Mark ; we are talking Liberals here ; Paul Martin , remember , gay marriage a national priority , institutionalized day care , an absolute necessity. You know and I know that that is exceedingly improbable.
But I must be blogging too much to have overlooked the obvious , that the Liberals will be hard pressed to object to a ringer [ in their eyes ]that they themselves have proposed . The irony is really sweet. First Emerson crossing and now this .
Posted by: dave | 2006-02-18 5:52:46 PM
As noted on SDA website awhile ago, virtually all of the Sask judges have been appointed by the Liberals anyway. And they all donated to the Liberal party. Annie 'I'll get your gun' appointed the last 10 or 11 herself. Why she was so impartial at appointing a provincial chief justice that she appointed her school friend OVER the list of judges previously selected by the Nova Scotia justice people.
Wow what an embarrasment of riches the impartial collectivist judges the CPCs have to pick from.
PM Harper should get some male parts and start over.
Posted by: rockyt | 2006-02-18 7:41:47 PM
Harper - you're beginning to piss me off. First your boneheaded appointments and now accepting the list of chief justices from the liberal patronage list! You're wearing thin with this Conservative supporter. Does power and eastern votes trump common sense? Pick a Western Judge with Conservative values, not a lapdog western liberal that sniffs his eastern counterpart.
Posted by: Western Canadian | 2006-02-18 7:44:26 PM
The Conservatives are just putting on a show, to demonstrate how centrist they really are. If they play their cards right they'll bump the neoLibs right out of the political landscape.
Posted by: Darrin Duell | 2006-02-18 9:23:35 PM
I wonder more and more why I bothered to vote, when nothing changes. This is an extremely important responsibility that affects the country for a long time. The Conservatives should be doing their own reference checking and establishing their own list of names.
Posted by: Alain | 2006-02-18 10:04:04 PM
Ezra, seriously? You don't get it? After Emerson, Fortier, O'Connor's statement about your decision to re-print the cartoons, Mackay's statement about the matter....you're actually shocked that they're going with Martin's picks?
Posted by: Howard Roark | 2006-02-18 10:13:03 PM
All Judges in Canada are appointed by the political process. The "lists" of suitable or
acceptable candidates are provided through Provincial Barristers Societies, but most Judge
nominees are well known to the politicians, many
of them lawyers, in any event. The former Chief
Justice of Nova Scotia was appointed by Premier
Gerald A Regan QC, on a specific request from PM
Trudeau that he wanted more women serving on Superior Provincial Courts. A well known Halifax
lawyer actually lobbied PM Brian Mulroney for a
Superior Court appointment, which he got. No potential Supreme should be appointed from a list
vetted by Professor Cotler, who essentially is a socialist, with no values acceptable to a newly
elected Conservative government. Harper himself
stated that his biggest problem is maintaining discipline in his Caucus. I would think that a lot if not all Caucus members would be very annoyed to think that a Conservative Supreme Court appointment, actually came from a Liberal
list - Martin and Chretien would get a good laugh
out of such folly.
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2006-02-18 10:18:20 PM
Just shake your head and weep.
Posted by: wallyj | 2006-02-18 10:23:45 PM
There's is no glory - in being tory
being grit - is worse than shit
With NDP you won't be free
and it ain't easy being green
I'll never vote again.
I've been duped once too often.
However, someone needs to come along to find away to rid Canada of the Muslims or we will wind up like Denmark.
Posted by: Duke | 2006-02-18 10:44:29 PM
"However, someone needs to come along to find away to rid Canada of the Muslims..."
Yes, Duke. A "final solution" to the problem, if you will. But what could that be.... I'm sure your WS buddies here have a few ideas.
Posted by: Mark Logan | 2006-02-18 10:58:45 PM
Yes Mark I'm sure you're a very smart person, very witty, but then again the nazis came for the smart people first. The people like Duke held out in the Warsaw getto and gave every bit as good as they got and a few of them lived. Maybe someone will save your sorry butt when they come for you. Maybe even Duke. We didn't mind locking up the Japanese or the Ukranians. What do you do with a people that believe their religion trumps all else? Tell us your final solution.
Posted by: greg | 2006-02-19 3:30:38 AM
Ezra, I agree, this has me stumped also. Is it to avoid charges of trying to "stack" the court with 1 out of 9 justices?
To me, this just smacks of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Posted by: Joel K. | 2006-02-19 6:21:16 AM
Let's face it. This picking of the non-elected appointed judiciary is a farce. All these people are only lawyers with political connections. They should not be appointed for life - that is until 75 years of age. They have to much power and are unaccountable. They can hallucinate oops I mean "read in" words not written in the Charter. They believe the Charter is a "living tree" and they beat the "law" to death with its diseased branches. We need some control over these lawyers oops I mean judges,one way would be to LIMIT their time on the bench and be able to remove them from subverting the Charter in cases like "reading in."
Posted by: Stephen Gray | 2006-02-19 8:39:40 AM
If there is a Western fluently French speaking person on the SC list of six - my money would go there. How better to further the Francophonization of Western Canada. It is not hard to see the dots connecting on Bill S-3.
Monte S. (Medicine Hat) - Brooks in his constituency - Huge meat packing plant in Brooks now recruiting in Quebec - New French School just announced for Brooks.
New French School just announced in Airdrie (basically a suburb of Calgary)
Two former schools sold in Edmonton for Francophone Schools.
New French school announced for Grande Prairie (Northern AB)
Re Brooks - Monte S's words in the Vancouver Sun - one of the reasons he got the Citizenship file is the Brooks component.
Questions: Since Quebec apparently now controls its own immigration - It is time that Alberta starts to have this "privilige" as well.
How many new Anglophone schools have been/are likely to be announced for Quebec?.
How close are we to an Alberta law equivalent to Quebec's law 101? Getting information from the Klein government is next to not happening - unless they want to make an announcement or leak by intent.
Since money must have already been transferred from the Feds to AB - it was probably done once Bill S-3 was successfully ushered past the Governor General just prior to the Election Writ dropping. The school systems in AB are so hungry for cash, the AB gov't will do most anything if there are federal funds attached.
For those wondering where the health care system is going in AB - just look at where the School System has gone. In the late 1970's/early '80's, it was only a discussion that charter (private) schools would be allowed to operate outside of either the Public School System or the Separate Catholic School System.
Today, Calgary alone has some 85 partially government backed independent/charter schools operating - most all organized around one or another Ethnic/Religious/Language groupings. There are some that are based on ESL, some on disabilities, and a growing number based on academic elitism. With the secular public school losing ground, the number of families chosing to do home schooling has also gone up.
And we wonder how our society is becoming so divisive.
Posted by: calgary clipper | 2006-02-19 10:51:59 AM
Cultures cannot be defeated from without, short of genocidal action.
They collapse into themselves through atrophy (no one cares about it) and then the vacuum is filled by another culture.
OUr governments are our real enemy, but who cares, they pay us off with a pittance. We have shown ourselves to be a cheap buy. We have become a weak and fearful culture and our enemies know it.
lik the frog in the pot of water. By the time we realized we are being boiled, it's too late to get out .... I am starting to see bubbles.
Posted by: Duke | 2006-02-19 11:25:00 AM
Ezra it's hard to blieve a lot of the gross compromises that are coming from this CPC government.
Posted by: WLMackenzie redux | 2006-02-19 11:25:03 AM
Let's not jump to conclusions here. In the interests of phoney impartiality, there had to be a couple of good conservative judges on the list of 6. It's even possible they left one on the list of 3, knowing full well he/she would lose out to a lefty.
Why is everyone so eager to throw this government under the bus? It hasn't even gotten started yet! Aside from a couple of weak-kneed press releases on the Islam file, there's nothing to really get bothered about yet.
Posted by: NCF TO | 2006-02-19 12:56:21 PM
There was probably a Green Party black single parent female judge , an NDP ,Inuit lesbian judge and a token , old , bald , fat white male Conservative judge on the group of 6 as well. All of them would have a completely legitimate shot at beating out the eventual winner.
Posted by: daveh | 2006-02-19 1:33:16 PM
ebt
my strong feelings come from the fact that a minority that encompasses about 30% of the population of Canada has come to control far to much of the entire agenda of Canada - not about Francophones as people. The forced bilingualism brought in by Trudeau and permitted to flourish in Central Canada since 1982 has allowed this to happen. What do you suppose Bill S-3 is all about?
The Grande Praire School has $6.2M comitted - K-12 for 230 students.
Edmonton has $2.4M committed with capacity for 670 students & providing for Senior High Expansion (read- more money when this happens)
Airdrie is 1-9 for 150 students and $2M committed
Brooks - dollars are not yet certain but has 5 portables (meaning about 150 students)
See -Google - New Francophone Schools
This is billed as a Francophone School Project. Does that mean the teaching language will be done in Quebecois or in francais standard? It probably doesn't matter - likely no English either.
Posted by: calgary clipper | 2006-02-19 10:32:45 PM
Like I said before, I wonder if anyone will have the guts to do an audit of bilingualism and show it for what it is - a failed project.
I bet if you combined all the autrocities the Liberals have done in the past 12 years it won't come close to what bilingualism costs for Canada.
It will be interesting when Muslim/Arabic speaking people start demanding their own schools because their numbers exceed 24% the Quebecois do.
Ha, talk about irony.
cheers
tom
Posted by: tomax | 2006-02-20 9:53:39 AM
My Zayda's name was Yitzak (Isaac) Toews. He was a Saskatchewan Mennonite from Russia.
Mr. Cotler, Mr. Toews and Mr. Rothstein all share the same ethnic lineage.
It is of note that Mr. Cotler taught the Talmud Torah which is swiftly becoming the law of Canada.
I do not understand the term Judeo-Christianity.
Judaism has always been out to destroy Christianity.
As a supposedly 'christian' nation, Canadians would do well to take a close look at people like Cotler who makes his views well known to the world on the 'Global Jewish Agenda' web site.
Christ hated the Jews and they hated him...
John 7:1
John 8:42
Galatians 1:13
The Jews holy book, the Talmud says that Christ is in Hell in a boiling vat of excrement... and it just gets worse from there. According to it, all Gentiles (non-jews) are going to Hell.
In contrast, Christ is a prophet of Islam, they revere him.
Now I ask, who is trying to start a Christian/Moslem war in Canada while they take over our government?
Posted by: Jim | 2006-02-26 8:40:06 PM
How could the talmud say Christ is in hell, wasn't it written before Jesus ? As for the Muslims revering Jesus, well they say he is not the Son of God, he very clearly said that he was. So, if they are right, then Jesus must have been one of the most vile people ever, for lying and fooling all those that chose to believe in him as God's Son.
So spare us the Jewish conspiracy theories, please. The Jews were God's chosen people, though they rejected him. There will come a day that they will turn to him.
Posted by: MarkAlta | 2006-02-26 9:03:54 PM
Jesus Jim - You left out the part about how the Jews killed Christ!
and MarkAlta- you'ld think after 2000 years or so of persecution -if they were going to "turn to him" - it would have happened by now.
Anyway- nice to see the hatred around here isn't limited to just one faith. You all must have evil in your souls for HIM to punish you with the burden of the seething hatred your are forced to carry around in your heart.
Posted by: Nbob | 2006-02-26 10:20:11 PM
Yo Man !
Handbags
Posted by: Stive Angelo | 2007-07-28 8:42:32 PM
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