Tell Vic Everything - Toews has No. 2 Tweet in the World

[Ranger66]

"Lets not forget where our fearless leader would have taken us if he was in charge back in the Iraq war "

That is a very good point.

[Bestside]

The house of commons is awash in disparaging attacks... and while in the house their remarks are immune from being held to account for them ... looks like we are going to get another double standard shoved at us...

Toews ticked about Twitter campaign
by The Canadian Press - Story: 71180 Feb 17, 2012 / 11:28 pm
http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-71180-4-.htm#71180

A Twitter account that posted personal information about Public Safety Minister Vic Toews was apparently shut down Friday after sparking a political firestorm and triggered an investigation.

"I set up this project to make a point, not ensnare innocent people in a government witch hunt," said a post on the Twitter account Vikileaks30, which no longer exists according to the popular social media website.

Earlier Friday the Conservatives accused the NDP of being behind the online campaign, but the New Democrats denied the charge and called on the Tories to apologize.

The Twitter uproar prompted the Speaker of the House of Commons to look into an Ottawa Citizen report that the account is connected to a Commons Internet protocol address.

The newspaper said the same address is linked to updates in an online encyclopedia with NDP-friendly entries.

The Conservatives seized on the report to accuse the NDP of playing dirty politics.

"Not only have they stooped to the lowest of the lows, but they have been running this nasty Internet dirty-tricks campaign with taxpayers' money," said Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in question period.

A spokesman for Toews also said he's sending a letter to Speaker Andrew Scheer about the matter.

But the NDP said their own investigation shows the same IP address is linked to changes on dozens of other pages, including ones with ties to the Conservatives and the Liberals.

"This is not an NDP campaign," New Democrat MP Jack Harris said Friday.

A series of farewell postings by Vikileaks suggested the poster was not from Ottawa and that many people have access to the email address in question.

"You are showing the government that the people have the real power. Farewell," one of the final posts said.

Toews has been the target of an online campaign all week in connection with the introduction of a surveillance bill that gives police easier access to people's Internet lives.

Critics say it will give police agencies too much power to snoop and violate Canadians' privacy.

Vikileaks, which was set up this week, has been posting details from Toews' divorce, juxtaposing them with public statements he's made about family values.

The Ottawa Citizen linked the Twitter account to a Commons IP address by persuading the owner via email to click on a link set up by the paper. They were then able to trace the address of the user. But that only would have linked the use of the e-mail account to a Commons server, not the Twitter account itself.

IP addresses are unique labels assigned to computers to identify them on networks.

Large organizations such as Parliament often manage their networks using two sets of addresses to protect their computers behind a firewall.

Computers connecting to an internal network each have their own IP address but when they are connecting to the external Internet, they share a small set of the IP addresses.

It's akin to having a group of people at a house party designate one person to go out and buy a pizza, said digital public affairs strategist Mark Blevis.

One person gets the whole pizza at the restaurant, but inside the house everyone gets their own slice.

It will be possible for Commons technology staff to trace exactly which computer clicked on the link in the email sent by the Citizen.

But Liberal MP Wayne Easter said he wasn't sure any rules have actually been broken.

"I think what the whole issue shows as well is in the new technological age that we're in people not being required to sign their names to their points of view is a problem," he said.

He said anonymous comments online amount to almost a hate attack.

"I do think we've got to find ways to identify some of these anonymous folks that are basically producing hate in some fashion."

Blevis said anonymous tweeting to score points against a politician runs the risk of polluting the political process.

"Our political system and the ability for people to engage is dependent on people wanting to be part of the process," he said.

"And I think this kind of effort is very damaging to the political process and very damaging to democratic engagement. It's certainly not what we're accustomed to in Canadian politics."

The documents being posted by Vikileaks have been public for years but have never been published by media outlets.

Blevis suggested that while Vikileaks may be embarrassing to Toews, another simultaneous online campaign being run might be making a better protest about the bill.

In the last 24 hours, over 24,000 messages have been posted to Twitter using an identifier of #tellviceverything.

Users are mockingly pre-empting the supposed need for the bill by just telling Toews what they're doing.

"Just sent my mom an email, will you tell her I love her, I forgot to add it," wrote one user.

While Toews' reputation may have taken a bashing, it's also given him a moment of Internet stardom.

An online algorithm used to gauge social media standings suggests that Toews is currently more popular online than Treasury Board President Tony Clement, known as the "Minister of Twitter" for his use of social media.

[Bestside]

Interesting comments in the House of Commons
Looks like this is just a step towards unlimited listening in on our phone calls.

Feds' snoop-law to chase cyber-crooks
by The Canadian Press - Story: 71002
Feb 14, 2012 / 11:08 am

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says legislation that would give police and spies easier access to information about Internet users is simply an attempt to bring the law into the 21st century.

He rejects NDP warnings that the bill threatens to turn Canada into a surveillance society.

Nicholson says the proposed changes will give police and security services the tools they need to deal with sophisticated cyber-criminals expert in hiding themselves on the Internet.

He says the new bill, tabled today, strikes a balance between giving the police new tools and protecting privacy rights.

It would also require telecommunication service providers to have the technical capability to allow authorities to intercept messages and conversations.

The Opposition NDP says the bill opens the door to snooping and police fishing expeditions.

"We are against this bill and we will fight this bill all the way," said New Democrat MP Charlie Angus. "Canadians are not criminals."

Nicholson said there are protections built into the proposed legislation.

"It will put in place safeguards to protect the privacy of Canadians," he said during a news conferences at Ottawa police headquarters.

The bill would allow authorities access to Internet subscriber information, including name, address, telephone number and email address, without first getting a court's go-ahead.

The proposed measures pit the desire of intelligence and law-enforcement officials to have ready access to information about people online against the individual's right to privacy.

At a news conference following the bill's tabling, Angus (NDP) said the measures would give police a licence to go on fishing expeditions.

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart and her provincial and territorial counterparts have publicly expressed concerns about a previous, similar incarnation of the legislation that died on the order paper.

When a Liberal MP asked Monday about the latest version, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said he could either stand with the government or with child pornographers prowling online.

Opposition MPs have denounced the minister's comments as an insult to those who care about civil liberties.

"I say to Vic Toews, 'Stop hiding behind the bogeyman. Stop using the bogeyman to attack the basic rights of Canadian citizens'," said Angus (NDP).

"I think Vic Toews has besmirched his reputation as a minister."

Green party Leader Elizabeth May said the minister's comments were an attack on those who support the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"You're the worst form of scum if you believe the charter's an important instrument for the rule of law in this country," she said Monday.

"I'm horrified by this kind of rhetoric. It demeans us all."

[wthwyt]

Well Vic I don't tweet so I tell you here:

I just put a second scoop of ice cream on my apple pie.

[LoneWolf_53]

I don't tweet either but for what it's worth Vic, you may be #2 Tweet in the world, but there's no denying you're #1 twit.

[Urbane]

I don't tweet either but for what it's worth Vic, you may be #2 Tweet in the world, but there's no denying you're #1 twit.

That sums it up pretty well! Time for Toews to take a break from cabinet.

[JLives]

Off topic remarks have been removed (and not from the government ) Jennylives

[Bestside]

There is a line, or there SHOULD be a line, between a politician's public life and his/her private life. Policy discussions and honest debate are honourable but disrupting private lives of politicians is dishonourable. Some people just buy into the end justifying the means and that's what leads to all the sleazy stuff in politics. Attack Vic Toews' policy if you like but leave his personal life alone. It's the same mentality that saw people cheering when the CBC "comedy" show dropped by Mayor Ford's house as he was taking his daughter to school. And that mentality is disgusting.

There is a line and Vic Toews and the Cons crossed it, in fact they tripped on it in their head long rush to ignore the Charter and trample on our lives and our freedoms. They deserve a verbal and print lashing to realize the displeasure of those of us who respect what our forefathers fought for.

Going back in time what with Mayor Ford not having a funny bone has to do with this is beyond me.

If we are to go back in time, we had a good lesson in civil rights and the need to stand up for the charter when Feather, the 15 year old BC girl who was tethered to a jail door and assaulted for no reason won a $60,000 suit against a person in a uniform and in authority who lied about the assault. That lawsuit showed a lot of people that their version of it being OK to trample on people's rights is not what Canada is about, and the people have to speak-up and "Tell Vic Everything" or our rights will be taken away.

[Captain Awesome]

So, any comment on so-called warrantless interceptions of the emails, traffic, and you computer data vs. ISPs simply giving contact information about their clients?

[bob vernon]

I just don't agree with someone messing in a politicians personal life whether you agree with his politics or not. Just goes to show how disgustingly dung low some left wing folk can get ;-).

Nab

The only thing I wanted to know about Vic's private life was whether the babysitter was a minor or was she an adult when Vic and she created this child. I've heard in the media that she IS in her early 20's. And that the kid was born 7 years ago. That puts Vic pretty close to the line. Once it's determined that he is or is not a pedophile, I'd gladly let his private life drop. The longer that her age is/was in question, the worse it looks. Talk about "disgustingly dung low" that this right winger got.

[wthwyt]

[Glacier]

^ Good rant. Vic Toews (like most politicians) don't really care what the 60% who aren't going to vote for him think, but this bill ticked off the conservative base, and then to make matters worse Toews made the statement that those who are opposed to this bill are in favour of kiddy porn, essentially calling his fellow Conservative MPs and the conservative base in general child porners. Classy.

[Corneliousrooster]

A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down......

Maybe you should have heeded the warning from anonymous????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sb0-QF0ew8

This made my morning LOL

[Bestside]

A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down......

Maybe you should have heeded the warning from anonymous????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sb0-QF0ew8

This made my morning LOL

Wait till this guy sees anonymous! Lights out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQhA5T5GqrI&feature=related