Inside the Orwellian Launch of Tories' Anti-Terrorism Act [View all]

Reporters in Ottawa became surly quickly Friday when it was discovered the government lock-up they attended for a briefing on proposed anti-terror legislation was light on information and heavy on restrictions.

The federal government was tabling Bill C-51, Canada's new ''Anti-Terrorism Act'' meant to bolster authorities' powers to prevent and dismantle terrorist activity. Journalists were corralled in a so-called lock-up to hear details of the new proposed law. Media lock-ups are frequently used to provide journalists with extra time to pore over information on a complicated subject, such as a budget. The reporters can't publish their pieces until a set time, usually when the government announcement becomes official.

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Bills are usually given to reporters in a lock-up before they are tabled in Parliament. A copy of the new Anti-Terrorism Act is what most members of the press were expecting Friday.

No bill to view

But when more than two dozen reporters arrived at the briefing in Ottawa, they were told they would not be getting a look at the bill, even before the question-and-answer portion of the technical briefing.

President of the Parliamentary Press Gallery Laura Payton took up the cause and at the back of the room argued with government staffers, questioning the point of having reporters sign an undertaking when they weren't even being given sensitive information, just backgrounders. The backgrounders detailed little information the reporters didn't already suspect would be in the new legislation.

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Meanwhile, a massive white screen lowered from the ceiling behind two Canadian flags. A six-metre-tall Stephen Harper was projected onto it as he gave a speech to introduce the new anti-terror legislation live in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The prime minister talked about a growing ''great evil'' Canadians need to be scared of in the form of violent jihadists wanting to kill anyone ''who does not share their narrow and oppressive world view.''

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http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/31/Inside_Orwellian_Launch_Tories_Anti_Terrorism_Act/



One of the comments from the story:

Using US figures as a proxy for Canada...
You are 35,079 times more likely to die from heart disease than a terrorist attack.
You are 33,842 times more likely to die from cancer.
You are 6,000-24,000 times more likely to die from obesity.
You are 4,706 times more likely to drink yourself to death.
You are 187 times more likely to starve to death than be killed by a terrorist..
You are 9 times more likely to be killed by a law enforcement officer.
The chances of being killed by a terrorist are only marginally more than those of being killed by a meteorite.