Via Captains Quarters comes this story from the Globe and Mail.
A Conservative government in Canada would move aggressively to step up efforts in the war on international terrorism and create a single office to oversee Canada's spy and security forces, Opposition Leader Stephen Harper promised yesterday in a speech to right-wing fellow travellers gathered in Washington.
"In particular, Canada can play a stronger role in the war on terrorism,"
..."A new Conservative government will do significantly more to contribute to [Canada's] own national security, to continental security in alliance with the United States and to global security in concert with all free nations," Mr. Harper said.
I say old news because the Conservatives have been vowing to increase military funding since their inception. After the London bombings it looks like security has become an issue in Canada as even Minister Anne McLellan has been talking tougher.
Update: The Globe and Mail has a follow-up story to MP Harper's speech in Washington.
..."The Liberal Party's connections to organizations in Canada that have terrorist affiliations elsewhere," are a cause for concern, he said at a news conference.
"The Liberal Party . . . doesn't seem to exercise a great deal of care on those things and I think it would be more appropriate to do whatever they can to distance themselves from groups that have those kinds of links."
While acknowledging that avoiding such contacts can be difficult, he said the Liberals didn't try hard enough.
Conservatives try to avoid ethnic organizations that might have links to extremist elements abroad, he said. "When I go to events in ethnic communities, we do try and keep an eye open for those kinds of connections to make sure we don't get ourselves in those kinds of difficulties," Mr. Harper said.
"I don't get the sense that the Liberal Party pays a great deal of attention to this and I think it should, particularly as the governing party of a country that is supposedly committed internationally to a fight in the war on terror.
"We are all aware of the Prime Minister's infamous dinner with the Tamil Tigers," Mr. Harper said, adding that "these stories keep popping up."
