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Reactions Split On What Canada's Liberal Majority Means For Tech Policy Future (freezenet.ca)

Posted by timothy on from the ok-enough-with-all-this-hubbub dept.

Dangerous_Minds writes: Few could have predicted the Liberal majority win in Canada's recent election. Now that the Canadian government is in a state of transition, some have speculated what the new government will bring to the table when it comes to a policy on technology. Michael Geist is speculating that the people in the new Liberal government may bring about a positive policy change, concluding "All of this points to real change and the chance for a fresh start on Canadian digital policy in the years ahead." Meanwhile, Freezenet has a very different take. Drew Wilson points out that the last time the Liberal government was in power, the party was very combative on digital rights because they were trying to bring in Lawful Access and the Canadian DMCA before Stephen Harper took power. In one very infamous exchange, Sam Bulte lashed out at people like Michael Geist by calling him and his supporters "pro-user zealots". With digital rights not even on the radar during the election outside of Bill C-51 towards the beginning and the Liberals long history on these files, Wilson paints a very bleak future given that the Liberal party now has a majority government and can push through policies unopposed whether controversial or not.

6 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. Liberal Party? by GerryGilmore · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Heck, here in America "Liberal" is a cuss-word that even Democrats run away from. That's part of why they suck as a political party - they can't/won't even defend Liberal values.

    1. Re:Liberal Party? by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's dangerous to evaluate foreign countries on the American political spectrum, and especially dangerous based on their name. If you judged American politics based on the names of the parties, you would think that one party desperately wanted a direct democracy, and the other party was fighting ferociously to keep the states independent. But neither of those is why the names were chosen (in fact, the founder of the democrat party fought to strengthen the states rights).

      In Canada, the Liberal Party has that name, but it is the centrist party.

      "All politics is local," that is the saying. In Canada, no one is fighting over Obamacare, just like in America no one cares about Quebec independence. In fact, one of the ways the party won is by getting a lot of votes in Quebec (also, Justin Trudeau is kind of hot).

      Don't try to focus on "left" or "right," it is a way to divide us. Instead focus on specific issues.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  2. Re:Our friends up north are just like us apparentl by dunkelfalke · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, it can. About the only time I was proud of my country was when Schroeder said no to Iraq war. A conservative government would have followed Dubya without even thinking twice about it.

    --
    "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  3. Re:Well if its anything like the US... by aevan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And what you said is "'Opinions must be politically correct or we will arrest you' is a good thing. Go Oceania!"

    Churches should be allowed to be homophobic - and should also be toothless in matters of law and called out on their views. Idiocy and being wrong hasn't been outlawed - just pity the bigots and only raise your ire if they act on their views. [That said they can have their little homophobe club and exclude girls too for all I care - bygone relic of a superstitious age :P ]

  4. Oligarchy by fyngyrz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We don't get to vote for the boss. The boss is the person who fills the lobbyist's pockets and tells them under what conditions to fork over said money. The boss is the person who arranges that little junket Thailand, or the Bahamas, or Las Vegas. The boss is that person who makes sure that congress-critter McTurd's second cousin Tedwina gets an absolutely amazing price on that succulent little bit of property. The boss is that guy who sees to it that post-congress, there's a $$k/event speaking tour waiting the wings. The boss is the guy with that awesome stock tip.

    And sure as hell, the boss is not us.

    But yes, new boss, same as old boss. Because no change in boss. At all. Has nothing to do with elections.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
  5. Re:Well if its anything like the US... by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 4, Informative

    Funny, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms would disagree with you:

    2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

    (a) freedom of conscience and religion;
    (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
    (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
    (d) freedom of association.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...