MPs pass anti-terror bill CBC News | April 24, 2013

… The Liberals joined the Conservatives to pass the bill — known as S-7, the combating terrorism act — by a vote of 183 to 93. It would bring back two central provisions that were originally instituted by the Jean Chrétien government after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York in 2001 but were “sunsetted” after a five-year period. …

This article explains the main points very clearly.

They revived the old stuff from post-9/11. No trial. Detained without charge up to 3 days and then forced to comply with probationary conditions or jailed for 12 months. You can also be forced to answer questions – no trial – or else jailed for 12 months. Also there are new provisions.

… Opposition critics have accused the government of trying to exploit the events in Boston and have skeptically pointed out the coincidence of pushing the bill to debate on the same day a major terrorist arrest was announced in Toronto. …

In the “old days” before 9/11, most people had standards about good and evil and how human beings were treated in the justice system or in war. Those standards vanished “because of 9/11”.

For all those years during the Cold War during which we were terrified of being annihilated by nuclear weapons, most Canadians and Americans would not have dared to justify the type of outrageous abuse this legislation represents.