Topic: Twitter account attacking Toews tied to Parliament

[Larry Strong]

Not sure where to put this so if there is a better thread to add this to, feel free to move it.

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

Seems like someone inside the House of Commons may be tweeting private information. I hpoe they are cought, and have the book thrown at them. Why do I get a feeling that someone who likes to swear might be involved......

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/16/toews-twitter-attack-house-of-commons.html

A user account on the social networking site Twitter that's being used to post personal information on Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has been linked to an IP address on Parliament Hill.
 
The anonymous account uses an IP address that originates within the House of Commons, the Ottawa Citizen reported Friday.
 
An IP address is a unique number that identifies computers in a network, which suggests that someone who works on Parliament Hill may be posting Toews's personal information online.
 
The Twitter feed was set up on Feb. 14 and has already garnered more than 8,000 followers.
 
Messages posted on the page include details on topics such as Toews's spending habits and other more personal matters, including his divorce.
 
The IP address used to administer the Twitter account has also been used to update Wikipedia articles, apparently to give them a pro-NDP slant, the Citizen reported.
 
Toews has faced pointed and personal criticism for leading the federal charge to pass a controversial online surveillance bill that was tabled in the House of Commons earlier this week.
 
On Thursday, the popular social media site featured a deluge of Tweets labelled #TellVicEverything.
 
"I spend a lot more work hours than I should on Twitter — but you probably already knew that," one user tweeted.

[jollyjacktar]

You may be right.  I'm sure they will be found out, and nothing will really come of it  except a news conference.  Most of them are teflon and they get away with things on the hill that you or I would not.  Politics is a dirty game down in the pen, I'm sure Vic is used to it.

[milnews.ca]

Seems like someone inside the House of Commons may be tweeting private information. I hpoe they are cought, and have the book thrown at them. Why do I get a feeling that someone who likes to swear might be involved......

Are court docs linked to divorce proceedings private?  I thought court documents  were public unless judges order otherwise (in Ontario, anyway, given that's the only jurisdiction I know a bit about).

Still....

I'm sure they will be found out, and nothing will really come of it  except a news conference.  Most of them are teflon and they get away with things on the hill that you or I would not.  Politics is a dirty game down in the pen, I'm sure Vic is used to it.

[Robert0288]

The worst that could happen is somone in the house calling for what I'm assumming is a staffer to resign.  And if your a staffer and your party/MP likes you then nothing will happen.

[FSTO]

Are court docs linked to divorce proceedings private?  I thought court documents  were public unless judges order otherwise (in Ontario, anyway, given that's the only jurisdiction I know a bit about).

Still....

I understand that all you have to do is go to the courthouse in the jurisdiction where the divorce was settled and ask for the documents. They are completely public.

[Nemo888]

This is such an embarrassment for the Conservatives. To scrap the gun registry then give police the ability to snoop on anyone at anytime and force ISP's to keep records on Law Abiding Citizens. The bill has an "exceptional circumstance" clause that allows any police officer the right to invade people's privacy without judicial supervision. That really needs to be pulled out. Who was the idiot who put that in there in the first place. Hire a few more judges and make them available 24/7 and use the existing system.  Vic Toews is now the poster boy for privacy protection. Everyone is now privvy to the fact he knocked up the babysitter and dumped his wife. This was completely legal under existing law. Once those records are kept they will be abused. Consider a VAC staffer getting access to them. This is a horribly thought out law.

The Minister of Public Safety and the Attorneys General of every Province can already go around such rules with their own exceptional circumstance clause. One I think already could look after the problem.  Things like an encrypted darknet can easily be cracked and all that is needed is a signature from the Minister or an AG saying they think the activity is beyond the scope of conventional law enforcement.

[milnews.ca]

A bit more detail on the alleged IP link to the Twitter account....

For those following the ongoing saga of the public safety minister, the online surveillance bill and the anonymous twitter account that was purportedly inspired by the latter to post possibly embarrassing personal revelations regarding the former, here's the letter that was sent to House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer on Friday.

(....)

It's important to note that the media sting on which Toews' claim appears to rest does not, in fact, prove that a House of Commons-linked computer was used to administer -- or, indeed, even log into the twitter account at issue.

What the Ottawa Citizen was able to do was bait a user checking an email account that was linked to the twitter account into clicking on a link that went to a unique web address -- set up by the Citizen -- that was being monitored specifically to see who would show up in the logs. Whether or not that same "taxpayer-funded" computer can be directly linked to the operation of that (now defunct) twitter account, however, is not yet known; however, if it was not directly used to run that account, it's not clear what, if any, rules would have been breached by a user who simply checked the inbox of an associated email address, even if done from a House of Commons machine ....

Spam email as journalism?  Interesting....

[Bzzliteyr]

Because we all know how ethical journalism is...right? Completely neutral and never interested in hurting anyone.

[recceguy]

This is such an embarrassment for the Conservatives. To scrap the gun registry then give police the ability to snoop on anyone at anytime and force ISP's to keep records on Law Abiding Citizens. The bill has an "exceptional circumstance" clause that allows any police officer the right to invade people's privacy without judicial supervision. That really needs to be pulled out. Who was the idiot who put that in there in the first place. Hire a few more judges and make them available 24/7 and use the existing system.  Vic Toews is now the poster boy for privacy protection. Everyone is now privvy to the fact he knocked up the babysitter and dumped his wife. This was completely legal under existing law. Once those records are kept they will be abused. Consider a VAC staffer getting access to them. This is a horribly thought out law.

The Minister of Public Safety and the Attorneys General of every Province can already go around such rules with their own exceptional circumstance clause. One I think already could look after the problem.  Things like an encrypted darknet can easily be cracked and all that is needed is a signature from the Minister or an AG saying they think the activity is beyond the scope of conventional law enforcement.

I love how everyone is up in arms because the cops can get at them without a warrant.

Where were all these self righteous people when these same rights were abrogated from Canadian gun owners all those years ago?

The two faced Opposition parties are still screaming and yelling to keep the LG Registry and all the warrantless search and seizure powers of Bill C-68, affecting gun owners, but insisting that the ISP legislation, with those same powers has no place in Canadian society.

For all you outraged citizens, welcome to our personal hell.

[Nemo888]

I love how everyone is up in arms because the cops can get at them without a warrant.

Where were all these self righteous people when these same rights were abrogated from Canadian gun owners all those years ago?

The two faced Opposition parties are still screaming and yelling to keep the LG Registry and all the warrantless search and seizure powers of Bill C-68, affecting gun owners, but insisting that the ISP legislation, with those same powers has no place in Canadian society.

For all you outraged citizens, welcome to our personal hell.

I don't want everyone to know I watch midget porn. I don't care who knows I own a gun.

[recceguy]

I don't want everyone to know I watch midget porn. I don't care who knows I own a gun.

I think you missed my point.

"When they came for the Jews, I wasn't Jewish, so I didn't care"..........

[GAP]

I think you missed my point.

"When they came for the Jews, I wasn't Jewish, so I didn't care"..........

 

[Kat Stevens]

I think you missed my point.

"When they came for the Jews, I wasn't Jewish, so I didn't care"..........

Maybe, RG, but now you're wearing that other footed shoe too.  You (absolutely correctly) have bitterly shouted for years about gun owners having their rights trampled.  Now you're criticizing those who complain about losing even more of our right to privacy.  Colour me confused.

[ObedientiaZelum]

I don't care who knows I own a gun.

How about if I'm a tech savvy criminal who wants a specific firearm that just so happens to belong to you.
Now I'll come to your house grab your firearms and probably your laptop full of midget porn. Hopefully you or your family isn't home at the time.

[recceguy]

Maybe, RG, but now you're wearing that other footed shoe too.  You (absolutely correctly) have bitterly shouted for years about gun owners having their rights trampled.  Now you're criticizing those who complain about losing even more of our right to privacy.  Colour me confused.

Simply, that those people never cared about the abuse of those rights when they weren't affected. Where were they then, when a group of ordinary, law abiding Canadians had those same rights taken from them? The same people, whining now, legislated to confiscate those rights from Canadians. Now it affects them personally and they want something done about it and their rights preserved.

The Opposition still refuses to draw the parallel and wants those rights to be continued to be confiscated from gun owners, but not from themselves.

You can't have it both ways.

I don't want those rights removed from them, but I want them to acknowledge and fight to restore mine.

[Nemo888]

At least the Gun Registry was kept secure by the RCMP. Every fly by night ISP and cell service reseller will have your  internet usage data/location and text messages. The chances of that being kept secure are zero. Sony can't even keep my credit card info safe.

I was half joking about the midget porn and owning a gun thing. I don't currently own a firearm.

[recceguy]

At least the Gun Registry was kept secure by the RCMP. Every fly by night ISP and cell service reseller will have your  internet usage data/location and text messages. The chances of that being kept secure are zero. Sony can't even keep my credit card info safe.

I was half joking about the midget porn and owning a gun thing. I don't currently own a firearm.

Actually, documentation and admission by the RCMP has shown the Registry has been breeched by outside sources on a number of occasions. Gun owners have been victimised by thefts through information that could only be obtained through the Registry.

 It is not secure.

[ObedientiaZelum]

Actually, documentation and admission by the RCMP has shown the Registry has been breeched by outside sources on a number of occasions. Gun owners have been victimised by thefts through information that could only be obtained through the Registry.

 It is not secure.

Beat me to it.

[Crantor]

I think you missed my point.

"When they came for the Jews, I wasn't Jewish, so I didn't care"..........

Are you seriously using that comparison?

[recceguy]

Are you seriously using that comparison?

Simply as a metaphor.

To wit: "So long as my rights aren't infringed, I don't care if other Canadians suffer that fate."

[ObedientiaZelum]

Are you seriously using that comparison?

When you think of it and the opinions of non-firearm owners towards what gun owners deal with it can be pretty accurate .

[Crantor]

When you think of it and the opinions of non-firearm owners towards what gun owners deal with it can be pretty accurate .

While I agree that the whole thing is a taste of your own medicine (from both sides as far as I can tell) and that yes, people don't care unless it affects them, I always find the whole Nazi, Hitler, Jewish comparisons in any argument diminishes the validity of the argument (i think that it's Godwin's rule/law or whatever).  Unless of course you use the comparison with something that is actually comparable.

The 2nd metaphor by Recceguy is much better in my mind.

And no, I don't think that non-firearm owners attitude towards firearm owner's is accurate in any way to the experience that Jewish people went through at the time.

I agree with the argument, not the example being used to support it.

I used to be pro-registry until a few people argued the case against it to me in a reasoned way with facts and evidence.  If they had gotten all emotional and talked about how Hitler did the same things etc etc, I would likely still be pro-registry.

[recceguy]

While I agree that the whole thing is a taste of your own medicine (from both sides as far as I can tell) and that yes, people don't care unless it affects them, I always find the whole Nazi, Hitler, Jewish comparisons in any argument diminishes the validity of the argument (i think that it's Godwin's rule/law or whatever).  Unless of course you use the comparison with something that is actually comparable.

The 2nd metaphor by Recceguy is much better in my mind.

And no, I don't think that non-firearm owners attitude towards firearm owner's is accurate in any way to the experience that Jewish people went through at the time.

I agree with the argument, not the example being used to support it.

I used to be pro-registry until a few people argued the case against it to me in a reasoned way with facts and evidence.  If they had gotten all emotional and talked about how Hitler did the same things etc etc, I would likely still be pro-registry.

You have to chill out and keep your view on the main point(s) and not an example. Don't get all wrapped up and out of focus because you're somehow offended at a simple saying. Don't forget, it's only one line, and not verbatun either, in a whole poem attributed to Martin Niemöller. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of permutations of the original poem out there.

It's certainly not about gun owners relating their plight to communists, trade unionists or Jews. It's about a current mindset of  politicians and  people in Canada.

Others thought it apt. It's a matter of opinion and perspective is all.

[ArmyVern]

Simply as a metaphor.

To wit: "So long as my rights aren't infringed, I don't care if other Canadians suffer that fate."

Bang on. Too many suffer from this lapse of not giving a crap until it's on their own doorstep these days.

[Crantor]

RG:  I'm hardly offended by the phrase.  I just don't think it's an effective quote for the reason's I stated.   And trying to stay on the main point is what I was trying to emphasise.  By throwing out hyperbolic statements or quotes the main message gets lost.  Your second quote is much more supportive of the argument than what you said before ie the Jewish comparison.  I mentioned Godwin's law for example.

I realise after you explained yourself that wasn't your intent but it still comes off that way.