statism watch

Faisal Enayat Khan, The Local
June 13, 2008

As the vote on Sweden’s controversial surveillance proposal nears, the voices of political party youth wings and bloggers are rising up in a chorus of opposition.

• Sigfrid defies party over surveillance (17 Jun 08)
• Dissenters put snoop vote on knife edge (17 Jun 08)
• Centre Party split over surveillance (17 Jun 08)

Gustaf Stenlund, spokesperson for the youth wing of the Moderate party believes a few Moderate parliamentarians will chose their conscience over party policy and vote against the proposal.

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Within days, a group of opponents had set up a website, www.stoppafralagen.nu, to galvanize the efforts of those who were against the measure.

According to its administrators, the site has had at least 100,000 hits a day since its launch on June 6th.

Mikael Nilsson, one of the main organizers of the opposition movement, said that individuals from all walks of life simply don’t want a society which resembles that of China and North Korea.

“We are overwhelmed by the response we’ve received from the members of the public. They are all worried,” he said.

The group plans to hold a demonstration outside of the Riksdag on the day of the vote in the hopes of convincing wavering politicians to vote against the measure.

Full Story | See Also: Sweden sets sights on new ‘catch and release’ wiretap law | Secretive Canadian spy agency to get $62-million HQ | Whistle-Blower: Feds Have a Backdoor Into Wireless Carrier — Congress Reacts | Listening in on the enemy: Canada’s master eavesdroppers

CBC News
Friday, June 13, 2008

European Union set to again be denied a defining document

Voters in Ireland looked set to reject a treaty Friday that might have led to a European Union (EU) constitution, the Irish justice minister says.

Dermont Ahern said early returns and national tallies provided by election observers showed the No side is winning in most constituencies so far, despite almost all major Irish political parties asking for a Yes vote.

If the result is confirmed, then the Lisbon treaty is effectively quashed, because all 27 EU states must ratify it.

The treaty was negotiated in Lisbon last December by EU leaders as a way of replacing the proposed European constitution, which had earlier been rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands.

It would have provided for many of the same Europe-wide government arrangements foreseen in the rejected constitution, but as an international treaty, only parliamentary approval was necessary for ratification.

The exception was Ireland, the lone European country that requires a referendum on all constitutional changes.

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Opinion polls across Europe consistently show that political elites in member states are far more enthusiastic about making the EU into a supranational government than ordinary voters.

Irish voters opposed to the Lisbon treaty expressed unease with loss of national sovereignty to the EU. Supporters had said the country had long benefited from membership in European institutions and needed to deepen its involvement in the continent’s political affairs.

The institution that became the EU was founded in the 1950s as a coal and steel free trade zone involving France, Germany and four other countries. Since then it has grown into a 27-nation bloc with an integrated economy larger than that of the United States.

Full Story | See Also: Ireland Set To Vote On EU Dictatorship | Irish PM Accuses EU Constitution No Vote Coalition of ‘Sheer Inaccuracy and Absurdity’ | Ireland Only Country to Hold Referendum on Contentious EU Constitution | EU Looking for Presidential Candidates | European Parliament Members Revolt Over Treaty of Lisbon

CBC News
Thursday, June 12, 2008

Alberta will join other provinces in launching a program to protect girls from a virus that causes cervical cancer.

All girls entering Grade 5 will be offered the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine starting in September 2008, with the program being expanded to include Grade 9 girls starting in September 2009, Alberta Health announced Thursday afternoon.

“The recently approved HPV vaccine will help protect the health and future generations of women in Alberta from an illness that has affected far too many until now,” said Raj Sherman, parliamentary assistant to the minister of health who made the announcement at Government House in Edmonton.

It’s estimated that about 1,300 women contract the sexually transmitted virus each year in Canada. About 400 women die of cervical cancer annually, with it being the second most common type of cancer for women between the age of 20 and 44.

Alberta Health says the vaccine has been proven safe and effective when given early. It says local health authorities will administer the series of three shots, and parents will be asked for their consent before their child is immunized.

The other nine provinces have all announced HPV vaccine program, with British Columbia joining the list earlier this month.

Full Story | See Also: Discovery of HPV in male oral cancers leads to vaccination call | HPV vaccination program raises concerns in B.C. | Gardasil shots have earned a painful reputation | Perspective on the HPV vaccine | Deaths associated with Merck’s HPV vaccine (Gardasil), over 3500 adverse affects reported | Political Intrigue in Merck’s Push for Mandatory HPV Vaccinations