after the sunset

On the Globe and Mail web site, there is a story discussing how two provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act will sunset tomorrow as MPs did not vote to continue them.

I find it interesting that the Liberal Party who introduced these provisions while in Government was having a whipped vote against them. I don't know if they are simply trying to differentiate themselves from the Conservatives or they have truly changed their minds.

I understand that they introduced a five-year sunset clause to allow for this exact change, but really the clause was simply to allay the fear of interest groups and not really a principled stand.

One of the reasons I find it interesting is that the Hon. Anne McLellan, the Liberal Minister of Justice and later Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness who introduced the Bill spoke at the little law school on the prairie today. I'd like to give her some credit. I remember her as being quite partisan, but as the vote was taking place in Ottawa, she stood before us here and told us that her party was wrong not to be supporting the provisions.

She also took both the Liberals and Conservatives to task for the rather pathetic show that occurred in the House of Commons last week.

I was impressed with Ms. McLellan today. I have crossed paths with her in two different professional capacities over the past couple of years, when she was Minister of Health, and also when she was Minister of Public Safety, and today as a law professor and guest speaker. Today was the most balanced, interesting presentation I've seen her make. Also, life after politics seems to be treating her well, she looked incredibly well rested, healthy and quite fierce.